Major Incident in London following Omicron

Anne Clarke: Following your announcement of a major incident in London on 18 December 2020 due to the Omicron wave, how has bringing together the emergency services helped the situation?

Sadiq Khan: Previous waves of the pandemic have shown that early and decisive action is key to limiting the spread of infection. It was important to be proactive as the wave of Omicron surged through London in December [2021].
Declaring a major incident not only brought Londoner’s responders together through the
Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), but also highlighted the seriousness of the situation we faced to everyone in our city. The SCG reviews whether it is still appropriate to have the major incident status in place every meeting, in its meeting this morning, and will be considering the implications of the Government’s decision to end PlanB measures.
The SCG has brought together the emergency services, the NHS, local authorities, Government colleagues, the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement [and Disparities]. It enables services to
cooperate and coordinate in an agile manner, sharing a joint understanding of the risks to London as the situation with Omicron changes rapidly. It has allowed all agencies to share information on the impacts on their services, as well as to identify interdependencies between them and the possible options for interagency support if needed.
The key difference between the Omicron wave and previous variant waves is that significantly higher infection and potential absenteeism rates limited the options for interagency support, which made this sharing of situational awareness between the agencies even more important. Through invoking a major incident and reforming the London SCG, we established direct and senior routes into central government policy teams and were able to engage directly on the policy changes that are being made nationally.
With the declaration of a major incident underlying the seriousness of the situation, it also encouraged Londoners to take the personal action needed to protect our frontline services. Both the National Health Service (NHS) and the London Ambulance Service (LAS) reported an immediate reduction in service pressures in the week following the announcements. This was a vital reduction in service demand that London needed at that time. Meanwhile, Londoners answered the call to get their booster and first and second dose of vaccines and continue to do so. As always, Londoners supported each other and our emergency and frontline services throughout what was another difficult festive period.

Anne Clarke: Many thanks, MrMayor, and thank you again for your support of our emergency services. I would like to thank them as well.
I am just wondering if you know what the current levels of staff absences are in frontline services, and what challenges that creates at present?

Sadiq Khan: Sure. I have data, Chair, that is a couple of days old because there is a lag between them giving us the data and so forth. Forgive me if they are a couple of days out of tune.
The NHS absence rate at Christmas [2021] was approaching 8%, and it has now stabilised between 5% and 6%. London Fire Brigade (LFB) absences approached 15% on Christmas Eve, and 6% by mid-January [2022]. TfL has reduced from 6% to about 4.4%. The MPS is at amber status for staffing and has now returned to a green rating. We are talking about a reduction from about 13.5% to about 10%.
The key point to make is this. Aggregate figures do not really give you a true reflection of the picture because in certain parts of an organisation there could be a control room or a department where you have big numbers being absent. That is why it is really important to look below the numbers. That is why the major incident being declared and the greater cooperation and working meant we could share data in real time.

Anne Clarke: Thank you, MrMayor. Have you been able to share this approach you have taken with other cities? It was important, especially ahead of the holidays as we saw the rates going up, that you had taken that action early.

Sadiq Khan: Yes, we have. Just so you know, one of the advantages of declaring a major incident is that we get plugged into central Government’s thinking as well. That led to not only me being able to speak to Secretary of State for Health, [the Rt Hon] SajidJavid [MP] but also, because we were a week or two ahead of the rest of the country, we could cascade our experience to the rest of the country. That is a really invaluable thing we have learned over the last 22 months and it is a good example of London helping - not in a patronising way - other parts of our country via our systems, which is important.

Anne Clarke: Thank you, MrMayor.

TfL Business Tenants

Emma Best: How are you supporting business tenants of TfL/London Underground to ensure a mutually sustainable recovery?

Sadiq Khan: Can I thank the Member for her question. She has the privilege of asking the first question in the new City Hall. Congratulations. I am proud of Transport for London’s (TfL) commitment to helping the hundreds of businesses on its estate, 93% of which are small and medium-sized businesses, to recover from the pandemic. From the very start of the pandemic in 2020, TfL was the first major landlord in the United Kingdom (UK) to commit to full rent relief for the first three months. TfL has continued to provide significant support to its tenants, many of whom have worked tirelessly to continue trading through these challenging times.
Throughout this time, TfL has worked with groups like Guardians of the Arches, and it is lovely to see them in the gallery today, and the Federation of Small Businesses, which have provided invaluable advice on TfL’s approaches, as well as providing guidance for tenants. Throughout the last 22 months, TfL has supported business tenants in a variety of ways, including full rent relief, awarding direct rent credits, providing more time to pay down pre-existing arrears, giving support in managing rates claims, and allowing tenants to move from quarterly to monthly rent payments to allow for easier budgeting. TfL has also provided free access to storage space to support social distancing when this has been required.
In addition, TfL has not increased rent levels for small and medium-sized businesses even where rent reviews have been due. TfL has also supported full flexibility for its tenants based on their needs. For some tenants, this has meant setting rents based on turnover, whilst in other cases TfL has allowed for a percentage of the usual rent to be paid. For those tenants wanting to leave their properties, TfL has provided a simple exit process. TfL has also been meeting tenants and completing business health checks so that they can provide targeted support that addresses individual businesses’ needs.
Based on feedback, TfL has put in place new policies and is continuing to evolve how it operates as a landlord, with the aim of continuing to work in partnership with its tenants to drive long-term mutual value while supporting London’s recovery from the pandemic. TfL is proud of its predominantly small and medium-sized tenant base, which reflects the diversity of London.
Ultimately, however, getting London moving again will be the best way to properly support the recovery of these businesses and of businesses across the capital. When London moves, customers pour through our stations and stop to take advantage of local shops, cafés, and businesses. Restoring this flow of people will be crucial to the long-term health of both TfL’s tenants, and the wider London and UK economy.

Andrew Boff: Assembly Member Best.

Emma Best: Thank you, MrMayor. Firstly, I would like to thank all the businesses for coming out today. I have had the pleasure over the last month or so of meeting so many. I just know there is no way I can possibly do justice to the pain that they are feeling and the stress that they, their families, and staff, are under. Therefore, I feel a great weight trying to get that across to you today. We are not talking about the JeffBezos’ of this world. These are regular Londoners and people who have built something really phenomenal from the ground up. So many of them risk losing that or have lost that already. I understand all the measures you have laid out there, MrMayor, but you must recognise these have been inconsistent, especially across the London Underground. They have not received that level of support and they are on the brink. We have people who are relying on foodbanks for the first time in their lives who just do not see a way forward, and they need more.
Therefore, I have three asks today, MrMayor. The first is could you please apply a singular strategic line management model, so you have the Arches tenants and management team, over the whole of TfL? Can we have one consistent approach so that everyone can have access to that support that they so desperately need?

Sadiq Khan: Sorry, there were three asks?

Emma Best: I am going to take them one by one.

Sadiq Khan: Can I thank the Guardians of the Arches for being here. I have friends and family who have businesses in arches, and I have seen the difference in the way TfL has treated our tenants versus others. I would rather be a TfL tenant than a tenant of a different landlord in arches. The Guardians of the Arches meet TfL regularly in addition to Deputy Mayors who work for me. I have met with the leadership of Guardians of the Arches as well. We are moving towards one line management approach, but it is not going to be a one response approach because we are going to make sure we help different tenants with different needs. For example, with a tenant who has a particular cashflow we give different help to somebody with a different cashflow.
One of the things we are trying to do is to make sure there is one person they can approach. They are confusing matters when they are approaching different people. If you are a small business with one person‑‑

Andrew Boff: Excuse me, MrMayor. Can I remind the public gallery that they are here to listen, and I am sorry that I have had to say this but if you could listen to what the Mayor is saying and not try to interrupt him. Thank you.

Sadiq Khan: What we are trying to have is a one-stop shop but for there to be flexibility, therefore different tenants get different help depending on their needs.

Emma Best: I appreciate the commitment to a one-stop shop and a one-stop model and we will see how that plays out. However, what is key is the consistency in that. The second ask, MrMayor, is if you will meet with these tenants personally to hear first-hand the compelling stories they have of where this is going wrong. I think, once you hear that first-hand, there is no way that you will not see the pain and the inconsistency, and where perhaps TfL has big aims but on the ground that is just not happening. Will you meet with them?

Sadiq Khan: One of the things that people like you have to be honest about is the pressure on TfL from your Government. Your Government is saying that TfL has to raise more revenues and should be making those revenues from these hardworking tenants. Therefore, we need your help to say to the Government, “Stop bashing TfL and encouraging us to bash those tenants.” What the Government is saying is TfL must raise more revenues from hardworking families like these tenants here. Therefore, what we need is for your help to lobby the Government and say, “Stop.”

Emma Best: MrMayor, I would like you to meet --

Sadiq Khan: You asked the question.

Emma Best: That is not the answer to the question. The question is, will you meet with tenants.

Sadiq Khan: It may not be the answer you like --

Emma Best: You can say whatever you want, and you can say to them whatever you want, you can say it is the Government’s fault. I will come with you on that call and if there is something we need to ask the Government for I will do that and I will join you.

Sadiq Khan: You have said that before.

Emma Best: When have you ever emailed me? When have you ever asked me to do anything?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, I find it astonishing that this Member does not know the financial challenges TfL faces and has not heard me at previous Mayor’s Question --

Emma Best: It is about the tenants and I am asking you if you will meet with them. I will meet with them as well and you can say whatever you like in that meeting. The question is not that right now. The question is will you meet with the tenants?

Sadiq Khan: I find it astonishing, Chair, that the Member is not aware of the pressures being put on TfL, which is leading to --

Andrew Boff: I would appreciate, MrMayor, if you would like to answer the question.

Sadiq Khan: -- the challenges that we see TfL facing. TfL as a landlord is required by the Government to increase revenues, 72% comes from fares, which have shrunk, and therefore they are asking us to raise revenues elsewhere. One of the things that I do know, not only have I met Guardians of the Arches in the past, not only did TfL meet them regularly, but two of my Deputy Mayors have met with them as well. I am always happy for Deputy Mayors, who can see members of the public sooner than I can, to meet with the Guardians of the Arches. Of course, I am more than happy to meet representatives from the business community across London, I meet them regularly, including the Federation of Small Businesses. I will be honest with them in relation to the challenges that TfL faces because of pressure from the Government. I am not going to hide from telling Londoners the truth about the pressures this Government is placing on small businesses like the ones behind you.

Emma Best: Therefore, I can contact your diary assistant after this meeting and set up a meeting?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, I have answered the question. In relation to --

Emma Best: That is my question.

Sadiq Khan: It is quite clear they do not like the fact that I am illustrating some of the consequences of their Government’s action on TfL. I am afraid you are going to have more and more tenants across our city, not just those in our arches, but those across our city, suffering the consequences if TfL has a managed decline scenario. That is one of the reasons why we will continue to lobby the Government for more funding for TfL.

Emma Best: I think that is really sad, I am not trying to play politics, and if we need to solve these issues together, people are going through real issues and all I wanted to ask was for a meeting that we could discuss these together and be honest with the tenants and have a deeper conversation. My final ask is if you will commit that there will be no evictions in March from TfL premises.

Sadiq Khan: TfL has worked really hard to ensure there are no evictions, unless tenants want to leave. There are 2,500 tenants. One of the reasons why your first ask for a one-size approach is not sensible is because different tenants have different needs. I have set out some of the things that we are doing. TfL will not evict a tenant who has a viable business and who wants to stay. What they will do is come up with a system that works for that tenant. That is why the first ask you had of a one-size approach does not work. Some tenants have been given rent credits. That has cost TfL £37million, which your Government is saying we have to pay to the Government. £37million we have given to businesses in rent credits and your Government is saying that we should not do so. The monthly rents we have gone to, rather than quarterly, to help the cashflow is also something that your Government is not amenable to. Therefore, we are going to need your help in relation to putting pressure on the Government to stop making it difficult for us to be a good landlord. I am more than happy to compare and contrast TfL’s landlordship of these businesses versus others in our city, including Network Rail.

Emma Best: Thank you, Mr Mayor. That was a commitment that there will not be any evictions?

Sadiq Khan: I will be clear, where a tenant wants to leave, we will make sure there is a good exit package for the tenant to leave. The other commitment we can give is no increase in rent levels where reviews have been made for small and medium-sized businesses. We are also going to allow more time for tenants to pay down pre-existing arrears. We are also committed to give more support in relation to managing rate claims as well. If there are other things that other landlords are doing that we can be doing as well, I am sure TfL will be more than happy to listen to those suggestions.

Emma Best: Thank you, MrMayor. We can see that people’s lives are on the line and I would hope that we can do everything we can. I did not suggest we have a one-size fits all approach. That will not happen. Rather one team providing consistent support because people have been through two years of pandemic and received nothing and they are hurting and that is it. Thank you.

Trust and confidence in the police

Unmesh Desai: What progress has been made to improve the trust and confidence of Londoners in the police one year on from your action plan being published, and what challenges have you faced?

Sadiq Khan: Keeping our city safe relies on strong relationships between the police and all of London’s communities. The key to improving trust is having a police service that better represents and understands Londoners. As a result of my Action Plan, we have provided £1.2million to the police over three years to support the recruitment and progression of Black officers. We have also made £700,000 available for community‑led training so that officers can understand the local communities they are serving.
ClaireWaxman OBE, London’s Victims’ Commissioner, has engaged directly with Black women survivors to ensure their experiences are better understood and this will inform my strategy for tackling violence against women and girls. Additionally, the police’s Public Attitude Survey has been extended to ensure the voices of London’s Black communities are better represented. Following a review of pre‑arrest handcuffing, the MPS has revised their policy to ensure officers are accountable for their use. Further, we are undertaking to strengthen London’s ability to hold the police to account, which is going to be really important if we are going to build confidence going forward, as is the review that Baroness LouiseCasey is doing, which will be looking into culture and standards of behaviour within the police service.
Unmesh Desai AM: Along with London’s Black communities, many women in London are also understandably now less trusting of the police following SarahEverard’s murder and a number of other scandals involving serving MPS officers. You already mentioned your Action Plan and the
[Baroness Louise]Casey review into the MPS’s standards. Also, it is important to stress the findings of the DanielMorgan inquiry, which found that the MPS is “institutionally corrupt”.
Most recently, following the truly shocking allegations that have emerged from the StephenPort inquiry, you commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate [of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)] to conduct an investigation of the MPS’s investigation standards. I want to very specifically ask you about this. Can you say that this inquiry will consider whether homophobia or other prejudices impact on the MPS’s investigations? Secondly, do you think any other work needs to go into reassuring London’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) community that they can trust the MPS to protect them, particularly given the rising levels of homophobic hate crime across the city?

Sadiq Khan: Firstly, anybody who saw even part of the evidence that came out during those inquests will have been shocked at the number of mistakes made by the police service. They caused me huge concern. The fact that they were in 2014 and 2015 is irrelevant. We have to make sure that our LGBTQ+ community feels reassured that the police are there for them as well. That is why the work we are doing is so important, not simply to make sure that police have changed for the better but to reassure those communities who suffer in silence.
Louise Casey’s work is looking at the culture. That includes homophobia. The work HMICFRS are doing as well will see if there are still any concerns that we need to address. The Commissioner [of Police of the Metropolis] herself has personally reassured me that she takes this issue very seriously. It is important that we provide that reassurance based on the evidence. Not blind reassurance, but reassurance based upon the work that is taking place.

Unmesh Desai: Thank you. You will be aware that Barking and Dagenham Council called for an inquiry into the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and their investigation into some of the issues raised as well.
I just want to move on because of time. Mr Mayor, if the police are to strengthen their standards and integrity and the confidence the public have in them, the procedures of calling out bad behaviour internally must be strong and, more importantly, trusted by MPS officers. I have received information that shows an overall fall in the use of the MPS’s internal whistleblowing hotlines in recent years. Is this an issue that you are aware of and feel needs resolving?

Sadiq Khan: One of the things that concerned me in relation to the behaviour of the serving police officer who abducted, raped, and killed SarahEverard was the need for there to be a lot of ways to check the behaviour of police officers who may be misbehaving, in advance of the criminalities we are talking about in that particular case.
In addition to the hotline you referred to, there are a number of things that the police are doing to make sure we are reassured. They are making sure that officers are given the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour by other officers, particularly towards women. We are also making sure that there is an improved sexual harassment policy, a toolkit for leaders, and support for women and minorities in the police service. The hotline should not be the only thing that officers who are unhappy go to. That may lead to a reduction in numbers for the hotline because there are now other things they can do. We have to completely transform the culture in the police service and be reassured that it has been transformed.

Unmesh Desai: Thank you, Mr Mayor. Thank you also for earlier describing the Royal Docks as a great part of London. Further proof, if any is needed, that London is going east.

Sadiq Khan: Hear, hear.

Protecting Leaseholders’ and Social Housing Tenants’ safety at home post-Grenfell

Sem Moema: How can you work with the Government and local authorities to make sure that the homes leaseholders and social housing tenants live in are safe and not put at risk by managing agents and freeholders’ behaviour four and a half years after Grenfell?

Sadiq Khan: The building safety crisis is one of the most pressing challenges facing our city, and I am committed to doing what I can to protect Londoners. I am really grateful for the AssemblyMember’s continued lobbying on this really important area.
The Building Safety Bill presents the best opportunity for systematic change. The Bill introduces new measures to improve safety, including increased scrutiny of new high‑rise developments; however, the Bill does need to be strengthened in some areas. While I welcome the recent announcement by [the Rt Hon] Michael Gove [MP], the Secretary of State [for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities], that the industry is expected to fund cladding remediation on buildings between 11 metres and 18 metres in height, this must be backed by firm and explicit protection for leaseholders through an amendment to the Bill. I am also deeply concerned that there is still no confirmed funding for buildings with non‑cladding‑related defects and those below
11 metres. We continue to lobby the Government on this.
Meanwhile, I am doing everything in my power to ensure the GLA’s partners are meeting the highest standards of building safety. I have introduced tough fire safety requirements within the Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026 and the London Development Plan, and new measures in the London Plan. My Homes for Londoners Board created an External Wall System 1 (EWS1) task and finish group which will support landlords in improving residents’ experience, especially through the EWS1 process. The group’s best practice guidance, to be published shortly, aims to trigger behavioural change, particularly on resident communications.
I wrote to building owners and managers in both 2020 and 2021, encouraging them to implement the relevant Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations early, and I will continue to engage with them on this issue. I also wrote to building owners who have been slow to take action, despite receiving funding from Government remediation funds, which my Housing Team administers. I will continue working with the Government and partners to ensure funding decisions and remediation works are completed as soon as possible.

Sem Moema: Thank you, Mayor Khan. I just wanted to say that I have found it instrumental listening to you and others at the Grenfell Inquiry evidence sessions in the last few months. Obviously, we have had a change in Secretary of State, who appears slightly more positive about homes in general, and Michael Gove[MP] has committed to provide clarity on what the Government will do by Easter, which is a couple of months away. I wonder what opportunities there are between now and Easter to work with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Committees (DLUHC) Secretary of State to look at the convening powers that the Mayor might have, or be given, to make sure that you are able to work with leaseholders and registered providers who provide those homes for social housing tenants, and to continue to put pressure on managing agents and freeholders to compel them to pay for those costs, particularly the non‑cladding costs that you have talked about?

Sadiq Khan: Your question is so important in illustrating that even though there are areas where we have no powers to act, we will both convene where we can and also lobby the Government. Those Members of the Assembly who are of the same party as the Government do not like it, but we should not be scared to call out the Government when action is required. Also, we should be brave enough to compliment Government when they get it right.
Michael Gove’s [MP] transformation of this area over the last few weeks is incredibly impressive. As we are meeting today, he is meeting developers to try and put pressure on them to do far more. We were saying this for the last four and a half years, criticised by that lot, and there has been change because of our lobbying. That is why we have to be confident in continuing to lobby and not allow Conservative voices in this Assembly to silence us when we do so.
The good news is that some of what Tom Copley [Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development] did in relation to a method or device to get this remediation paid for has been taken up by the Government. Getting developers to contribute towards a position they helped create, in relation to a levy, was an idea from Tom and the team in City Hall, and I am really pleased the Government is running with this. Leaseholders should not be out of pocket because of things that are not their fault.
With the new convening powers, I have said in my answer some of the stuff I have done. I have written to building owners, working with the Government to put pressure on them. Some have received funds but are not taking action. We are trying to find out who the owners are. Some are offshore. The Government has the expertise to try to find out who they are. I think, working with Michael Gove[MP] and his team, we can make more progress. I have highlighted some of the areas where there still needs to be progress. This Easter there should be sufficient progress when it comes to the fifth anniversary of Grenfell Tower. We are talking about families still living in dangerous buildings.

Sem Moema: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. I just really quickly wanted to ask you: within that there is a, if you like, a loophole ‑ which again the Secretary of State has committed to looking at but has not made a commitment around closing ‑ and that is the loophole around leaseholders being passed on the cost of the works that need to be done to their buildings and their homes. I wonder if, within that, you would be able to commit to working to ensure that that is closed. I know that is something that you committed to in the Manifesto, and I think that Londoners would really welcome that, especially those people who are in homes in which it is entirely legal for those freeholders to do what they are doing, which is bankrupting people.

Sadiq Khan: Yes. By the way, I am not sure if you have, but I have met families whose dream of being a homeowner has turned into a nightmare because they are leaseholders, and their homes are not safe. We will continue to lobby the Government, but we should also recognise the progress that has been made. Michael Gove [MP] deserves huge credit and we hope we can just push him further, because no families should have their dream of owning a home being turned into a nightmare.

London Fire Brigade Capacity (1)

Susan Hall: Can the Mayor set out what actions are being taken as a result of the fact that a third of fire appliances were not able to run on Christmas Day?

Sadiq Khan: Can I begin by thanking you for your advocacy for our blue light services ever since I have been Mayor? I am really grateful for that and I am sure they and Londoners are as well. The LFB has been on the front line throughout the COVID-19 response. Like all other emergency services, it faced staffing challenges during earlier waves of the pandemic and again more recently due to the spread of the Omicron variant. Those challenges were an important factor in my decision to declare a major incident on 18December [2021]. This enabled us to set up coordination arrangements between key public services through the reestablishment of the SCG to address the pressures facing the city.
The Christmas period that has just passed was a challenging one for the LFB with significant numbers of staff off work due to COVID-19, and this led to lower numbers of appliances being available for service. On Christmas Day, the LFB had 50 pumps off the run. However, this did not impact the emergency cover that was provided to Londoners across the capital. I can confirm that the Brigade has consistently met its attendance targets throughout the pandemic to get the first fire engine to an incident within a London-wide average of
six minutes, and a second fire engine within a London-wide average of eight minutes. This did not change over the Christmas period.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Brigade has actively monitored the situation through its COVID-19 Working Group and the Brigade Coordination Centre (BCC). Rigorous planning was undertaken before Christmas to prepare for the impact of possible staff shortages, current and predicted sickness levels were scrutinised, and plans were prepared to ensure the LFB maintained as many operational resources as possible. This included moving resources and postponing training where necessary to maximise the number of operational staff available to crew fire appliances. The BCC ensured that officers were briefed to make dynamic proactive and reactive decisions on what activities and training to reduce in order to maximise the availability of resources on a day-to-day basis. The LFB also worked closely with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to promote the use of pre-arranged overtime. My Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience and I continue to speak on a regular basis with the London Fire Commissioner about the ongoing impact of the pandemic to ensure that London has the emergency cover it needs. There are now early signs that staff numbers are improving, and we hope to see this continue.
I want to take this opportunity, Chair, to thank the LFB, all the blue light services and other key workers for their work during the holiday period, particularly with the significant challenges provided by Omicron.

Susan Hall: Thank you and I am sure we would all echo those thanks, MrMayor. I was particularly concerned when I saw the press release from the FBU, stating that there were so many off on Christmas Day in particular. Are you confident that the LFB has the capacity to deliver currently?

Sadiq Khan: The reason why, Chair, I really welcome your question and the issue you have raised now is just to give you an idea of the numbers. This Christmas, 413 staff were off; last Christmas 2020 it was 159. That is why your question is so pertinent. I am confident because what the Commissioner with the FBU and others is doing is planning for that eventuality. One of the reasons we were keen to declare a major incident after I consulted with the blue light services and others was because of staff absences. The good news is because most of our staff had the vaccines, those consequences were not as serious and they were back to work pretty quickly, but also the teamwork from the LFB was really good, cancelling some of the non-urgent training and the pre-arranged overtime. The good news, you will be pleased to know, is that even though 35% of our pumps were off, quality of service stayed good and that is a good example of good leadership on this occasion.

Susan Hall: Yes, it is indeed. All my questions are pertinent, MrMayor, but anyway, just so you know.

Sadiq Khan: You may well say that Susan. I could not possibly comment.

Susan Hall: No, you could try. You could try to answer them, MrMayor. That would really make my day.

Sadiq Khan: You could try to ask a decent question.

Susan Hall: Well, your idea of decent and mine are obviously not in the same place.

Sadiq Khan: I think you agree more with [the Rt Hon] BorisJohnson [MP, Prime Minister] than I do about decency.

Susan Hall: Oh, there you go. Again. Again. Are we at the stage, do you think, where the LFB should start to look at the amount of support that it is still giving to the LAS?

Sadiq Khan: It stopped for reasons that are well rehearsed and I think 2December[2021] is when it stopped. By the way, we should thank those 500 firefighters who really did help out the LAS at its time of need, but for good reasons the LFB could not carry on that, I think it is, Operation Braidwood. The LFB continues to talk to the LAS to see where there is mutual help that we can give, as indeed does the MPS, but clearly what the Commissioner has got to do is to make sure he can look after his own and the responsibilities he has. What he cannot do is jeopardise that, with the best of intentions.
Just to reassure you, although there is better teamwork - and you rightly, as Chairman of the Budget and Performance Committee, asked for greater collaboration - that should not jeopardise the core business each one of those blue lights does. The reassurance I have had, which you will have at the relevant time from the Commissioner, is none of the work the LFB does is compromised by the teamwork, but they will always look for ways to save resources, work together, learn from each other and so forth.

Susan Hall: Yes, and we should continue that. Thank you, MrMayor.

COVID-19 vaccinations in London

Joanne McCartney: How can you support the take up of the COVID-19 vaccination across London, in all communities and age groups?

Sadiq Khan: 17.1million doses have now been delivered to Londoners, including almost 4million people receiving their booster, and more than 87% of adult Londoners have had their first dose. It has been a monumental effort and we owe the NHS and volunteers a huge debt of gratitude.
With high numbers of COVID cases and the NHS under pressure, it is vital that we continue to do all we can to vaccinate Londoners. I am continuing to support the NHS in its work to improve access to the vaccine, including promoting vaccine clinics open at convenient times and walk‑in centres for Londoners regardless of immigration status and general practitioner (GP) registration. I am also working closely with partners to deliver communication campaigns to promote the vaccine to all Londoners, especially those targeted by disinformation around vaccines. I do not want any Londoner to be left behind in the vaccine rollout, so I have announced new Big Conversation sessions to encourage frank, honest and open dialogue on the questions and concerns Londoners have about the safety of the jabs. I have also launched a video campaign to help encourage young people to take up the offer of the life‑saving vaccine.
I urge anyone who has not yet had their booster or is still waiting to take their first or second doses to book their appointment as soon as possible to help protect themselves, their loved ones and the NHS.

Sem Moema AM (on behalf of Joanne McCartney AM): I just wanted to ask you about what your views are on what might be the core reasons behind vaccine hesitancy. Notwithstanding the unedifying spectacles that we have had at People’s Question Time, Londoners do have genuine concerns and there are ways to address those. I just wondered what your message is to those people who are reluctant to come forward and take the vaccine because of misinformation that they might hear or see.

Sadiq Khan: Your question is really important because if you park for a second the anti‑vaxxers and those who believe in conspiracies, quite a large number of those who have not yet had their first vaccine are genuinely hesitant for reasons that we can address. They need to be persuaded. The Big Conversation sessions are about having experts who are respected, like Professor KevinFenton [Regional Director for London, Public Health England], Dr VinDiwakar [Regional Medical Director for London, NHS England] and others ‑ Dr Debbie Weekes‑Bernard [Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement] and so forth ‑ listening to and engaging with that group and having a frank conversation.
You can understand, if you are a Black Londoner whose experience of people in positions of power and influence is one of distrust because of the way you have been treated, or if you are somebody whose family has had experience of pharmaceuticals in another country, why you are nervous and risk‑averse. My message is simple: it is never too late. It is never too late.
The good news is that over the last seven days we have vaccinated more than 21,000 Londoners with their first dose. We have made that with what is called the evergreen offer. We are not going to give up on these Londoners because we know the difference having the vaccine can make.

Sem Moema AM (on behalf of Joanne McCartney AM): Thank you for that. Just before Christmas, I do welcome the fact that your office supported Waltham Forest Council in having a last‑minute pop‑up vaccine session for children as we headed into the school holidays. Some of that was about helping source medically trained staff. I just wanted to explore a little bit how you are working alongside the NHS to make it as easy as possible for people to make the right choice, and then for those facilities to be available for them to get their first dose if they have not so far had that first dose, or for them to continue up to the booster.

Sadiq Khan: It is really important. We must not give up. We have to make it as easy as possible and have as few hurdles as possible for people to receive their first jab. Pop‑up centres are important. The Education Secretary was keen to get vaccines back into schools. We can have a sort of benefits to use. People who like football had the benefit of going to StamfordBridge and getting the jab. Other football teams are also offering their facilities, cricket venues and so forth. I do want to use the word “gimmicks” because it is a disservice, but we have to be innovative about what sort of things get people in.
The other great thing that we are now doing is experts are going out with a rucksack of jabs to give them out, going door to door in some communities. We really are working with councils in particular, who know their communities best, to try to identify which groups have been missed out and go back to them again and again.

Rollout of Zero Emission Buses in London

Caroline Pidgeon: What role do hydrogen buses have in ensuring London has a zero emission bus fleet?

Sadiq Khan: I am committed to making London the greenest city in the world, moving to net zero by 2030. Transport has a big role to play in this, not least our bus fleet.
I am incredibly proud that there are already over 600 zero-emission buses currently in the TfL fleet, including 20 double-decker hydrogen-fuelled buses, which I launched on routes7 and 245 last year. This makes London’s zero-emission bus fleet the largest in western Europe. We are aiming to reach 800 zero-emission buses by the end of this financial year in March [2022], and a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2030 depending on Government funding. The buses we have in the fleet now are already helping to reduce TfL’s carbon footprint and further reduce harmful emissions, helping to ensure Londoners can breathe cleaner air.
Hydrogen buses could play a key role for TfL’s longer-distance bus routes for which battery-electric buses currently lack the necessary range. In general, hydrogen buses and infrastructure remain more expensive than electric alternatives, but hydrogen could be more commercially and operationally competitive on these longer routes. TfL is still assessing the total lifetime cost of hydrogen buses based on the 20 double-decker buses that are in service. However, the higher upfront cost of these buses and supporting infrastructure is a significant barrier to their wider deployment in London. While battery-electric buses are expected to form the majority of the fleet, hydrogen-fuelled buses could still make a smaller but important contribution to London’s zero-emission bus fleet in the future if their costs can come down. TfL remains open to both technologies.
The hydrogen fuel for TfL’s fleet is currently produced as a by-product from an industrial facility in Runcorn, but from 2023/24 TfL expects this to be replaced by truly zero-emission green hydrogen produced using wind power. As part of TfL’s wider work to make buses greener, by January last year all buses in its core fleet had been brought up to strict EuroVI emission standards following a retrofitting programme and the replacement of older buses with new ones. Now completed, this will see harmful nitrogen emissions from
TfL’s 9,000-strong bus fleet fall by up to 90%.
I am committed to making all London’s buses zero-emission by 2034 at the latest. However, with the right support from the Government, that date could be brought forward to 2030, which would save an additional 1million tonnes of carbon. Hydrogen could make a vital contribution to meeting this goal.

Caroline Pidgeon: Thank you very much for your response. I appreciate hydrogen bus technology is in development, and I also understand TfL’s financial difficulties. You have invested £6million in a hydrogen refuelling centre in Perivale. Why is TfL still running only 20 hydrogen buses when you have made that investment?

Sadiq Khan: That is all the buses we have. Are you asking why we do not buy more buses?

Caroline Pidgeon: Yes. Why are you not looking to expand hydrogen buses given you have made that investment?

Sadiq Khan: Sorry. The investment we made was possible because of European Union (EU) funding. The EU gave us £6million towards the buses. We gave another £5million. The Government gave us £1million. That came to £12million. Without the EU funding, we could not do it.
The second important part of the equation was that we jointly procured with other cities across the country like Aberdeen and Birmingham. There were a number of cities across the country. With that joint procurement, the costs came down a bit. If we did 20 each, it brought the costs down.
The upfront costs of hydrogen are more expensive than electric. A hydrogen bus, roughly speaking, costs about £600,000 and an electric £400,000. That does prohibit going for hydrogen. We would want to buy more if we had the money to do. You will remember the way electric buses work is the operators buy them rather than us. It is a different model for hydrogen because we were keen to test these buses, particularly on double-decker routes.

Caroline Pidgeon: Lovely. Your manifesto has a specific commitment to increase connectivity in outer London through improved bus networks. As part of the work you are doing in this area, will you review how hydrogen buses could play a role in outer London given their fast refuelling and their long range, which makes them ideal for those orbital routes.

Sadiq Khan: If you get a chance, you should go to one of the bus garages. The speed of refuelling is quite impressive and - you are right - they have longer ranges. The issue we have is the garages having the equipment to do it and having only 20 double-decker buses.
We are looking into, based upon the experience we have with these 20, whether for the longer routes, where electric batteries may not be as good, they would be a good way forward. We are also looking at the experiences of other cities as well and what we can learn from each other. We are keen, where we can, particularly, as I explained, we will have green hydrogen very soon, which is really exciting.

Caroline Pidgeon: Lovely. I look forward to seeing that develop. Thank you, MrMayor.

Zero Strikes Promise

Tony Devenish: On 26th November you tweeted: "This unnecessary strike action by RMT is causing widespread disruption for millions of Londoners and will hit London's retail, culture and hospitality at the worst possible time." Given this, what concrete measures would you like to see to stop millions of Londoners suffering from strike action for six months? Would you support Binding Pendulum Arbitration, if the Government indicated they would give you this power?

Sadiq Khan: I am disappointed by the continuing Night Tube strike action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which is impacting our city’s hard-hit retail, cultural and hospitality sectors as well as the night-time economy at a crucial time. The Night Tube has an important part to play in our capital’s recovery and helps to improve safety for everyone making their way home at night-time.
Reopening of the Night Tube followed months of discussions and meetings with the RMT and the other recognised trade union on the proposals to combine the day and night Tube train operator roles. The other trade union agreed to the proposals and, since then, TfL has repeatedly engaged with the RMT through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) on this issue. I would urge the RMT to come back to the table and seek a resolution to this dispute.
I am pleased to say, though, that since Night Tube services resumed on Saturday 27November [2021], TfL has been operating a near-normal service on the Victoria line, and a reduced but regular service on the Central line through central London.
It has been made clear throughout the dispute that no Tube driver has lost their job because of these changes and nor will they. No driver has been forced to switch to part-time or full-time work if they do not want to. Any driver who wished to remain working solely on Night Tube services has been able to do so.
Binding arbitration hands over important decisions to an external third party with limited knowledge of the organisation involved and its workforce. It does not allow the arbitrator to come up with an alternative outcome, which presents a significant risk to effective business management. Binding arbitration also removes the motivation for businesses to work with their staff to find positive solutions. There are good reasons why binding pendulum arbitration is not in use in the UK either with any of the privatised train-operating companies, with any of the other transport authorities or in other fields. The rights and obligations relating to industrial action are enshrined in national legislation. They are a matter for national government. It would not make sense for fundamental employment rights to be different in different parts of the country, and it would create an uneven playing field that would not be right for everyone.
I am proud that since I became Mayor, the number of days lost due to strike action has reduced by 72% compared to the previous Mayor’s time in office. This is a result of constructive engagement with TfL staff and the trade unions, and this is the approach I intend to continue taking in London.

Tony Devenish: Thank you, MrMayor. You do not like the Conservative Group’s plan on binding pendulum arbitration. That is fair enough. You are the Mayor of London, sir. What is your plan to stop the next six months of Londoners being inconvenienced by more Tube strikes, please?

Sadiq Khan: I was not aware until today that the Conservative Group wants us to have a system of arbitration that is used in places like Chile. We are not in favour of that system. By the way, nor is the national Government. Maybe you should speak to them in relation to binding pendulum arbitration.
I am quite clear that the way to resolve disputes is to get around the table and resolve them. I would encourage the RMT and TfL to get around to ACAS. TfL is ready to talk and try to resolve these differences. Ultimately, the way you resolve differences - not just in industrial relations but in other forms of life - is by talking. I would encourage the RMT and TfL to get around the table and talk and resolve these. These can be resolved. There is a way through these. It is in everyone’s interests for the disputes to be resolved.

Tony Devenish: Are you confident that we will not face six months of disruption for Londoners recovering from COVID and trying to be socially distanced? I have been on the Tube during these days, and it is back to the old sardines before COVID because there are fewer Tube trains running. Are you confident that by talking, you can resolve this in weeks rather than months, MrMayor?

Sadiq Khan: Hold on a second. It is really important that we clarify misinformation. There are not fewer trains running in the daytime. As far as the Night Tube is concerned, I am impressed to see you using the Night Tube on Saturdays and in the early mornings of Sundays. The Victoria line is up and running to a near-normal service. The Central line is running a decent service. Both those lines came into existence only since I became Mayor. I am really proud of those Night Tube lines.
We have managed to reduce strike action since I became Mayor. It was by talking. It was by treating trade unions with respect, by engaging with them and by trying to address any issues they may have in a way that ensures that we can provide a decent service. I am hopeful that the resolution of this dispute can be reached, but it means talking. I would encourage the RMT to come back to ACAS and TfL to talk and see if we can resolve this amicably. It is in everyone’s interests to do so.

Tony Devenish: I am surprised by your answer about fewer trains because certainly there have been delays. I have personally experienced this, and many people have been telling me there are fewer trains. The trains are more crowded at certain times during these actions.
In terms of actually solving the problem, are you confident that we are not going to face six months more of strikes, please?

Sadiq Khan: There are two issues you raised in your question. Firstly, it is for the reason we are seeing people returning to our Tube that I am trying to persuade the Government to keep the national requirement to wear a facemask. I would hope you will join me in trying to put pressure on the Government to do what is in the interests of public safety, rather than appeasing angry backbenchers. In relation to‑‑

Tony Devenish: MrMayor, we agree on that, but that was not my question.

Sadiq Khan: I am glad you agree on this. What I am asking you to do is to lobby your Government and try to make it change its mind because, love as we do, we do not have the power to do so.

Tony Devenish: MrMayor, you are the Mayor of London. Can we talk about your responsibilities just for once? It would be absolutely wonderful. You said you were going to be a zero-strike Mayor. You are not a zero-strike Mayor. I am asking you. Can you actually get the unions to stop these strikes and not have another six months of strikes? It is a simple question.

Sadiq Khan: I will try again. In relation to TfL, I am astonished he does not see the link between national legislation and how TfL runs. Just like his colleague‑‑

Tony Devenish: I thought you were the Mayor. Maybe I was wrong.

Andrew Boff: AssemblyMemberDevenish, could you allow the Mayor to answer?

Sadiq Khan: There is a link between national Government policy, national Government funding and the way TfL is run. I am sure he will welcome the fact that since I have been Mayor, there has been a 72% reduction in days lost through strike action. Unlike the previous Mayor‑‑

Tony Devenish: That is not true, either.

Sadiq Khan: Any students who are watching this are not going to be impressed by this sort of behaviour.

Tony Devenish: You are exactly right. Chair, I will leave it there. I am not going to get anywhere. I am wasting my colleagues’ time. They can ask other questions. He will not answer any questions. It is appalling. Thank you, Chair.

Dogs on the Streets and the ULEZ

Neil Garratt: When you agreed at December’s Mayoral Questions to a meeting between your Deputy Mayor and Dogs on the Streets, were you intending to offer them a solution to their ULEZ problem?

Sadiq Khan: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is helping to clean up London’s toxic air. In the first month of the operation of the extension, compliance with the emission standards and the expanded zone was as high as 92%, with around 47,000 fewer older, more polluting vehicles seen each day on average. Since 2017, more than four and a half years ago, there has been a wide-reaching awareness-raising campaign to ensure drivers were ready for the ULEZ and its expansion. Over one million letters were sent to owners of non-compliant vehicles seen inside the zone ahead of expansion last year, with TfL’s Online Vehicle Checker being used more than 20 million times.
I am very grateful for the vital work all charities play in our communities, and I applaud the work of
Dogs on the Streets in supporting rough sleepers by helping care for the pets that provide them emotional support and companionship. I am aware that Dogs on the Streets has raised issues with the expanded ULEZ, and TfL has been in regular contact with the charity to help them identify the best option for them. Most recently, my Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, and senior TfL officers met with them in December[2021] to discuss this matter and reiterate our previous offer of support. The charity’s vehicles are light goods vehicles for which there is no exemption. However, TfL did offer funding from our successful scrappage scheme when it was open to all eligible charities operating non-compliant vehicles. TfL officers also proposed retrofit solutions and offered support to the charity while they arranged for the vehicles to be retrofitted. People who have booked a retrofit can benefit from a generous grace period from ULEZ charges to allow time to complete the retrofit. Unfortunately, Dogs on the Streets has said it does not wish to take these options, despite offers from officers to help source funding that may contribute to the costs of retrofit or replacement vehicles.
Many excellent charities have taken up offers from TfL and found ways to comply with the ULEZ, and I am sorry that a resolution has not been agreed with Dogs on the Streets. It is vital, however, that we continue to clean up London’s filthy air to protect the health of all Londoners, including rough sleepers who are twice as likely to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma and 20 times more likely to suffer from tuberculosis. TfL remains open to working with Dogs on the Streets to support its transition to cleaner, less polluting vehicles so it can continue to deliver its valuable services.

Susan Hall: Thank you, MrMayor. For anybody who is not aware of how wonderful this particular charity is - you did say last time they did brilliant work - they not only help homeless people, they also support victims of domestic violence and look after dogs when someone is arrested or sectioned. You agreed to the meeting at the last Mayor’s Question Time (MQT), I think it was, MrMayor, and I think they assumed that that would be of some help, but at the meeting we have been told that they were offered nothing. They would love to upgrade their vans to be compliant, but it is just too expensive. They are, in effect, stuck like a pincer between one-off costs of upgrading and the constant daily charge, and some charities literally live hand to mouth, as you well know. If you go on the website, the scrappage schemes are empty; there is no money there. Could you perhaps offer them a temporary two-year exemption, as you have already given to charities with minibuses? Funding support would be much appreciated because they do an awful lot of work for the police, LAS, domestic violence shelters, and so on. Do you not agree that it is a false economy and would be shocking if, for the sake of small sums, this brilliant charity - brilliant and you have accepted that it is very good - folded? The knock-on costs of other services would be far greater, I would suggest. This is not what the ULEZ was intended to do. Can you think of any other support that City Hall could properly offer them?

Sadiq Khan: I have placed on record my thanks to this excellent charity, and there are many other excellent charities who have made the transition to compliant vehicles and taken advantage of some of the schemes that we have. In the meeting the Deputy Mayor [for Environment and Energy] and TfL had with the charity in December[2021] as a consequence of the last MQT, these schemes were put to the charity, which declined those schemes. You will be aware, in addition to this brilliant charity working with rough sleepers, there are many other brilliant charities working with rough sleepers, working with animals, and working with young people, which also had polluting vehicles and have made their vehicles compliant as a consequence of either the scrappage scheme or the generosity of the public. There are those schemes and we have talked about TfL officers and the Deputy Mayor being more than happy to discuss these with the charity. My understanding is the charity has said “No” to offers of help on those schemes. In relation to the minibus point, which is different to the vehicles used by Dogs on the Streets, I think the reason why the exemption applied to the charity minibuses was because of the lack of alternatives. In this particular case, there are cheaper alternatives, which TfL can advise the charity on if they are not aware, which can give them a solution. That means it would be able to both continue to provide the fantastic service that it is providing at the same time as being ULEZ-compliant.

Susan Hall: Yes. Of course, these are warm words, but they do not help Dogs on the Streets. We have been telling you for months and months that more money needs to be put into these scrappage schemes, not only for Dogs on the Streets. There are so many people out there that simply cannot afford to replace their vehicles. The scrappage schemes have no more money left in them. We have shown you where you can take the money to put into those scrappage schemes to help poorer Londoners and to help some of these fantastic charities, but you just go deaf at that point. Will you not look at ways that you can put more money into the scrappage schemes to help people like those that run Dogs on the Streets and also for poor people that just simply cannot afford to replace their vehicles?

Sadiq Khan: Well, the scrappage scheme was offered to this charity, which has declined it so more money in the scrappage scheme would have made no difference for this particular charity. We ourselves, TfL, and City Hall, found £61million for our scrappage scheme with zero assistance from the Government. What we said to the Government is if they gave us more - if they gave us any money - towards a scrappage scheme, towards exemptions or discounts, we could be helping the sort of people you claim to be wanting to help. I would remind you that other cities have got assistance from the Government, ranging from Birmingham to Portsmouth, Bath to Manchester. We have not. We will continue to try to get more assistance for London so we can be helping small businesses, charities and families who could do with some financial assistance in making that transition.
I would also make the point, which is a really important point, that poor air quality causes the most problems to those Londoners least likely to own a vehicle. Almost half of Londoners do not own a car. In the expanded area, more than six out of ten Londoners do not own a car and it is they who suffer the worst consequences of the toxic air in our city.

Susan Hall: Yes. Do you know, I really thought we were going to get through one question without you blaming the Government or saying the Government needs to give you more money. It is quite shocking, MrMayor, you not answering half my colleagues. You need to be answering questions. All of these questions are put to you on things that you are responsible for, you never take responsibility for anything and it is about time you did. Will you be prepared to give Dogs on the Streets an exemption from paying the ULEZ? Yes or no?

Sadiq Khan: Let me deal with the first part of that question --

Susan Hall: No. Here we go. “The Government” again, no doubt.

Sadiq Khan: -- which is we are the most centralised democracy in the Western world, and I will not apologise for trying to get more powers and resources for our city. I would remind you that because of our lobbying, for example, the Government devolved a further £320million towards adult education. As a result of the lobbying - Anne Clarke [AM] referred to this in relation to the Government around cladding - we managed to persuade the Government to an initial £27million but also persuade the Government to follow our idea of getting developers to pay for cladding remediation. I can give other examples where we have persuaded the Government to partially refund the police officers that we lost. 20,000 replaced 21,000, but it is 20,000 we otherwise would not have but for our lobbying. Similarly, in relation to air quality, we are going to continue to lobby the Government in relation to the monies we need--

Susan Hall: Thank you, MrMayor.

Sadiq Khan: -- to get to zero carbon. The Government agrees with our ends, which is zero carbon. We need to lobby them to get to the means--

Susan Hall: Look, MrMayor--

Sadiq Khan: -- which is more support, more powers and more funding.

Susan Hall: -- MrMayor, lobbying is one thing; going on like a demented parrot is not. All you ever do is go on about the Government. I have finished now because he is not answering my question.

533 Bus Route

Nicholas Rogers: Will you update the Assembly on the status of the 533 bus route?

Sadiq Khan: The 533 is a temporary route, operating between Hammersmith Bus Station on the north side of the river and Castelnau on the south side of the river via Chiswick Bridge and Barnes. It was introduced in 2019 following Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s decision to close Hammersmith Bridge to vehicular traffic and the bridge remains closed to motorised vehicles but is now open to people walking and cycling. The 533 provides an accessible connection between Hammersmith and Castelnau, and the route maintains step-free access to the Tube in Hammersmith, ensuring there is a direct connection for those passengers who cannot easily walk or cycle across the bridge.
The contract for the service has been extended for six months from 15 January to 15 July 2022 and during this time route 533 will operate at a frequency of four buses per hour during hours of service every day of the week. The route continues to run non-stop between Hammersmith Bridge Road and Mortlake Cemetery in both directions. This maintains sufficient capacity for passengers who wish to travel across the river and ensures that the service is more reliable than if it were stopping more frequently. If the 533 were to stop along this section of the route, buses would be liable to become too crowded with short-distance passengers from Hammersmith and Chiswick Bridge. This could reduce the available capacity for passengers who wish to travel across the river, which is of course the purpose of this bus route. Route 190 will continue to serve all bus stops between Hammersmith and Mortlake Cemetery and passengers wishing to travel to and from stops between Hammersmith and Chiswick Bridge can continue to use buses on route 190.
Demand has, understandably, fallen on the 533 since the bridge reopened to people walking and cycling in July last year [2021]. The current frequency matches capacity to demand at the busiest time of day and in the busiest locations. Later this year, TfL is planning to conduct a review of the bus network in the Barnes and Mortlake area, based on comprehensive, up-to-date passenger data to assess whether the local bus network remains suitable. TfL will continue to closely monitor passenger usage and reliability on this route.

Nicholas Rogers: Thank you, MrMayor. Just by starting off, I know the 533 is very much appreciated by residents in southwest London as a temporary measure whilst Hammersmith Bridge is closed, but I do want to focus on the removal of those stops in Chiswick that you touched on in your answer. I have had an awful lot of correspondence about this from residents in Chiswick who liked those stops, they found them convenient and there were hundreds of people who signed a petition, calling on TfL to reinstate the stops. I have to admit that the reasons for those stops being removed has changed since I started to take up this issue back in June or July[2021]. At first, I was told that the bus was too full. By November[2021], it had become that the bus was too empty to justify putting the stops on. The bus is both too full and too empty and it is kind of like Schrödinger's bus here. What is the actual reason? Is it that it is too full or is it that there are now not enough passengers to justify those local stops?

Sadiq Khan: Yes, firstly thank you for your interest in this matter. It is a really important bus, and I am really grateful you are raising this issue. I have not heard the ‘not too full’ answer you gave. I have only heard the ‘too full’ answer, and not only does it slow the bus down, but it gets too full for those who really need to be getting from one side to the other. That was the purpose of this bus and you will be aware there are other buses that do stop frequently.
To reassure you and, as importantly, your constituents, there are real time reviews that take place, so we know every day how many people are using the bus. Also, there will be a further comprehensive review later on this year. I have seen your correspondence with the Deputy Mayor [for Transport] and I am grateful to you for keeping this at the fore of our mind. We have got to recognise - for the reasons you know better than I do - that that bridge being closed to vehicles is causing a real nuisance to your constituents. Whatever we can do to alleviate that is the reason why we did the 533, which is basically to get people from one side of your patch to the other in the absence of a bridge.

Nicholas Rogers: No, I absolutely understand that, but at the heart of this issue really is engagement. It is about engagement with the community. On Monday at his confirmation hearing your new Deputy Mayor for Transport told me that he thinks it is essential to engage with local residents, and I absolutely agree with him. So many local residents in Chiswick appreciated those stops on the 533. I am sure you will be aware there is quite a sensitive discussion at the moment in that part of London about transport, public transport and getting people out of their cars, which is something we want to encourage. They very much would like those stops reinstated and they feel that TfL made a mistake in withdrawing them. My request to you would be, perhaps through SebDance [Deputy Mayor for Transport], whether you or Seb could meet with some of those residents so they can outline their position and perhaps ask if TfL could reconsider.

Sadiq Khan: Let me be frank. I am well aware that you know that patch far better than I do but also that the briefing I have is written by people who may not know it as well as you do either. Although my briefing says there are very good reasons why the 533 cannot stop at all stops on the route, I respect your knowledge of the area. Can I instruct my Deputy Mayor [for Transport] to meet with you to see if there is a way through this in relation to meeting the wishes of your constituents? Also, you make a powerful point. I cannot on the one hand encourage them to leave their cars at home and on the other hand, where there is a bus and there is a potential way of helping your constituents to not drive their cars, not do what I can to help. Ignoring my civil servants’ advice, can I suggest, Chair, that the Deputy Mayor of Transport meets with Nicholas and sees whether there is a solution to try to address the very good points you are raising to me that I am just not on top of like you are?

Nicholas Rogers: That is fine. Thank you very much and I appreciate that. Thank you, MrMayor.

The Fire Risks Posed by E-Scooters

Hina Bokhari: What are you doing to highlight and protect Londoners from the fire risks posed by e-scooters?

Sadiq Khan: Whilst e‑scooters have the potential to provide Londoners with a new form of transport that can reduce road congestion and make London a greener city, private e‑scooters remain illegal on our roads, cycle lanes and footways. In London, TfL is currently undertaking the UK’s largest trial of e‑scooters, using scooters that are subject to rigorous safety measures. This is the only legal way of riding e‑scooters in public in our city. TfL is carefully assessing the impacts of the trial to ensure this new way of travelling is inclusive of everyone’s needs and is safe for Londoners.
Over the past year, the LFB has seen an increase in the number of fires it has attended involving lithium-ion batteries associated with what they class as electrically powered personal vehicles, or EPPVs, as many as 70 in a 12-month period. The LFB issued safety advice over the safe use of lithium-ion batteries following these incidents and there is also information available on the Brigade’s website to advise people on how best to keep themselves safe.
Following an incident in November last year [2021] involving a folded, privately owned e‑scooter catching fire on a London Underground train at Parsons Green station, TfL launched an urgent review into the use of e‑scooters on London’s transport network. The review was supported by evidence from the LFB’s fire safety experts. As a result of the review, TfL announced a ban on all privately owned e‑scooters on its network, which came into force on 13December2021 and the decision was fully supported by the LFB.
Many Londoners will be unaware when they think about buying an e‑scooters that it is not legal to ride them anywhere in the public realm. In the run-up to Christmas, the MPS and my Walking and Cycling Commissioner, [Dr] WillNorman, wrote to retailers, reminding them of their responsibility to make customers aware of the legal status of private e‑scooters and their use in public spaces. This issue is a good example of GLA functional bodies working together to identify concerns and take action to help keep Londoners safe, and the
LFB Fire Safety Team is continuing to review the fire risks posed by private e‑scooters as more information becomes available.

Hina Bokhari: There is growing evidence that e‑scooters are not just posing a significant fire risk on roads and pavements but also in our homes, and last year the LFB attended 50 fires involving e‑scooters and e-bikes. Last week, we saw a fire in Willesden caused by a charging e‑scooter, which resulted in a small bedroom flat being destroyed. Will you work with the LFB to ensure a section on e‑scooters is included on the electrical safety section of the website and that it is promoted through your channels?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, I have not recently gone to the electrical section of the LFB website, but I will promise to do so, and she makes a really good idea. Why do I not ask my Deputy Mayor [for Fire and Resilience] to speak to Hina to see what other advice she has got? This is an area we could all work in together because it is about public education and you have got lots of constituents who respect what you say, and you can help us in relation to being a message carrier. Let us do that.

Hina Bokhari: Absolutely. I also would think that it would be helpful to have a wider publicity campaign around fire risks posed by e‑scooters, not least because the building safety scandal has unearthed hundreds of residential buildings in London with serious fire safety defects, which makes the risks posed even more worrying. As the Mayor, will you be working together with boroughs, the LFB and housing associations on a publicity campaign to highlight the serious risks posed, emphasising not only the importance of fire safety but of safety around batteries?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, the Member raises a really important point and, as she was speaking, the potential opportunities just occurred to me to get into people’s homes with information that may help keep them safer. They may have an e‑scooter in their home and not realise the danger it poses. Chair, let me take that way. We are doing great work as the GLA group. Question: are we doing enough with the housing associations, the smaller ones and the bigger ones? We are doing good work with the councils but let me go away and just kick the tyres to see what more we can be doing. Why do I not also ask the Deputy Mayors TomCopley [for Housing and Residential Development] and [Dr] FionaTwycross [for Fire and Resilience] to touch base with the Member to see if there are any other ideas she has got about how we can reach those Londoners that we have historically found it difficult to reach? Some of them may own an e‑scooter. It is about common-sense things that can be done to keep them and their families safe.

Hina Bokhari: I have also got another idea. I am also worried about the workplace and many people use e‑scooters to get to work. They are putting them into basements and discrete areas into the buildings and this could also be a fire risk, especially if they are left there overnight. Will you commit to working with the LFB and boroughs to ensure that all employers in London are made aware of the fire risks posted by e‑scooters and what they can do to mitigate those risks?

Sadiq Khan: Well, again, Chair, it is another example. TfL and City Hall have done some good work, but I cannot give you a guarantee we have done that work with employers in the private sector and so forth. Again, I will make sure the questions that Hina has asked are circulated to my team to make sure that it gives the challenge we need to be asking these questions because you are right. Somebody may use an
e-scooter to legally get to their place of work, but the issue is it may be a fire risk, so is the work taking the right steps? Similarly, Chair, why do I not ask JulesPipe[CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills] to make sure our planning is in the right place? We have done lots of good work to make sure there is cycling parking in new developments. Question: have we made sure we are raising the awareness about people who may park their e‑scooter in a new development? Can I take that away, Chair, to just kick the tyres to make sure we have thought about it? This is a developing area, there are things we have probably not thought of and, again, this sort of challenge is good.

Hina Bokhari: I look forward to hearing from all the Deputy Mayors on this. Thank you so much.

Drug enforcement and drug harm

Caroline Russell: How do you plan to enforce drug laws in a way that reduces harm for Londoners?

Sadiq Khan: Drugs can ravage communities and their supply chains support organised crime and serious violence. My number one priority is the safety of Londoners and that means tackling the harms drugs cause. The MPS is committed to suppressing violence and targeting individuals linked to drug-related violence. I am also determined to end exploitation of young people by organised criminals involved in drugs, and I have invested £5.7million in a three-year Rescue and Response programme to target county lines. The MPS is working closely with Rescue and Response through Operation Orochi.
There is a growing demand for a debate on our drugs laws and in my manifesto, I said I would establish a London Drugs Commission of independent experts from the fields of law, public health, criminal justice, and community relations, to examine the effectiveness of those laws with a particular focus on cannabis. The Commission will consider ways to improve the current legal framework on the use of cannabis as well as the criminal justice and public health responses to drugs use. What the Commission will not do is look at the classification of ClassA drugs, which I am very clear must remain illegal. Work is underway to set up this Commission.
The Prime Minister himself has acknowledged in the Government’s recent Drugs Strategy that the old way of doing things is not working. My London Health Inequalities Strategy has already taken steps towards a different approach, seeking to reduce the use of illicit drugs and reduce health harms through high-quality drug treatment and recovery. The enforcement of drug laws and the wider criminal justice system must look to support this approach, and I will continue to work closely with health, criminal justice and local partners to improve pathways into treatment from the criminal justice system.
Drugs are driving violence, crime and antisocial behaviour in our communities and now is the time for an evidence-based review of how to reduce the harms that drugs like cannabis cause. I was pleased to see the Government’s new Drugs Strategy acknowledge the need for robust evidence to inform a national debate on how best to tackle addiction and provide effective treatment and recovery systems across the criminal justice and public health sectors. I am doing my part to help provide this evidence in London.

Caroline Russell: Thank you, MrMayor. It is very good to hear you say that the old ways of dealing with these issues are not working and also recognising the good stuff; the public health-based approach to tackling drugs that was buried in that recent Government Strategy.
I have seen reports in the media recently that needed to be clarified by your office about cannabis diversion trials where 18- to 24-year-olds found in possession of a small amount of cannabis will be given advice on drug harms, and will be taken back to their homes instead of going into police custody or receiving a criminal record. This kind of trial is not about ideology or politics. It is practical and evidence-led, and it is common sense. We heard in the October [2021] Health Committee meeting not only that diversion schemes are within your power as Mayor to do but also that health interventions such as these are often more effective than punishment and criminalisation.
Do you know when these diversion trials are going to start and what more information can you provide on them?

Sadiq Khan: Unfortunately, Chair, I cannot give you a date for if they will start. No proposal has come to me yet. What we do know is there are some police forces around the country - Thames Valley, Durham, West Midlands - that are doing these pilots and these trials. It is on a cross-party basis. Some of those Police and Crime Commissioners are Conservative. It is in accordance with, as you said, the Government’s recent Drugs Strategy.
A proposal will come to me at some stage. I will look at the proposal. I do not want to pre-empt what I may decide.

Caroline Russell: OK. I will encourage you massively to look at it constructively. Londoners are getting slightly mixed signals on drugs policing. On the one hand we have the possibility of a diversion trial. On the other hand, we have recently seen macho crackdown policing with police videos on Twitter showing police going around Shoreditch and stopping and swabbing people for drugs when they were going into clubs. That then had to have a clarification issued afterwards.
I do not want to go into the details of that right now because all these issues could be covered by your
London Drugs Commission. You said you would launch it in your manifesto last spring, but since then, even in the draft Police and Crime Plan, there is no further detail about the drugs commission. When are you going to publish details about the London Drugs Commission and, in particular, the terms of reference?

Sadiq Khan: You will be aware a manifesto is written for an entire term. Nobody expects all of it to be delivered in the first six months and, as you will appreciate, we have been a bit distracted with the pandemic. I will be disappointed if I cannot give you more news about the Drugs Commission over the next couple of months.

Caroline Russell: Two months? Thank you very much, MrMayor. Thank you, Chair.

Spy-free shopping

Zack Polanski: Do you share my concerns that private companies are using facial recognition software on the public in London?

Sadiq Khan: In September2021, I published my Emerging Technology Charter for London, a set of practical and ethical guidelines for the trialling and deployment of new data-enabled technology in public services or the public realm. London is the first city in the UK to publish such a charter and, I have been told, the first in Europe. We have led the way because we are keen to foster an environment where technology can flourish and does so in a responsible way that respects our rights. We have incorporated the UK Information Commissioner’s recent opinion into the charter, including on the use of biometric data such as in facial recognition software. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) sets a very high bar for use of biometric data such as live facial recognition technologies in public spaces by non-law enforcement bodies. The ICO requires that the use of these technologies considers the potential for bias, examines the impacts on the rights and freedoms of its citizens, and demonstrates that other less intrusive measures cannot reasonably achieve the same purpose. If these technologies cannot meet the tests set out by the ICO, then they should not be deployed in London. I have no powers to regulate the use of live facial recognition in private spaces, but through the Emerging Technology Charter I provide clear guidance to both public and private sector organisations in London on how to implement innovative technologies in a way that is open and sustainable and which respects London’s diversity and keeps citizens’ data safe.
My Chief Digital Officer for London, Theo Blackwell [MBE], and I continue to promote these guidelines and encourage their adoption. On 8October last year [2021], I adopted my Public London Charter. It sets out eight principles owners and managers of public spaces need to follow to ensure that any new public spaces in London are safe, accessible, and inclusive and my London Plan requires all development that creates new public space to be managed in accordance with the charter. The charter requires developers, managers, and landowners to only put in place rules restricting the behaviour of the public that are essential for safe management of the space. It sets out that public space should be managed to respect the privacy of all users, ensuring that the use of smart technologies in these spaces is properly justified, as well as being legal and compliant with the relevant codes of practice.

Zack Polanski: Thank you for your work on this already, MrMayor. I am concerned about the loss of privacy through biometric data. Potentially, if one were going to a supermarket, we are being recorded, collected, shared, stored, all of that data, when we are just going for a loaf of bread and Londoners deserve and need a spy-free shopping experience in their city. I have written to all the major supermarkets to ask them if they currently use live facial recognition technology, or if they are planning to use it in the future. This is here, MrMayor, this is dangerous, and it is already trickling into London. Now some of the supermarkets were brilliant and they have got back to me already to say they do not use it - shout out to Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Tesco, although other brands are available - but a fair few of them have refused to say. Now, the Government have failed to legislate on this so far. Would you agree with me, at the very least, that these supermarkets need to be transparent about the recording and use of data?

Sadiq Khan: I have not seen the data so I cannot comment on whether that is a reasonable request or not, but we all want AssemblyMember Polanski to be able to buy his loaf of bread and not worry about his privacy being infringed. I would remind him, though, that there is lots of closed‑circuit television (CCTV) and if we were speaking 20 or 30 years ago, he would not unreasonably be asking questions about transparency on CCTV. It is because of this challenge we have had improvements made around CCTV, and that is why he is so right to ask these questions, to get us the reassurance we need around transparency, what happens to the data, us being informed that it is being used, and so forth.
That is why it is important for people with an interest in this area, like AssemblyMember Polanski, to continue to challenge those in the private sector and those in Government. I want to be an ally. I am more than happy for you to send me the letter. I can help in relation to getting the information because all the Member is asking for is transparency, all he is asking for is to know whether somebody who he does business with is using this technology, and that is not an unreasonable request. Why do we not speak offline about sharing your letter? We can see what we can do to get what I think is not an unreasonable question asked to people who we do custom with.

Zack Polanski: I really appreciate that. Anything you can do to champion this spy‑free shopping pledge would be excellent.
Now, we have spoken before about San Francisco banning live facial recognition technology and you said to me, quite rightly, that they have very different powers to London, and I agree. However, one power you do have ‑ and you just alluded to it ‑ is that power of guiding and influencing business. What are you and the Deputy Mayor for Business doing to make sure that we are championing good practice and condemning those who are spying, essentially?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, I am very competitive and when Zack mentioned San Francisco and he dared to suggest that City X is better than London, I looked and spoke to colleagues in San Francisco to see what they were doing. I just want to rebut your point that another city is doing more than us. You are right, several United States (US) cities, including San Francisco, have ordinances in place, but the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in our country trumps some of the ordinances they have. Also, even in San Francisco, it only applies to law enforcement or those technologies used by city agencies, not by private operators. In fact, I am looking forward to sharing my charter with San Francisco so they can learn from us about how we balance innovation with protecting our rights.

Zack Polanski: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.

Review of advertising on Transport for London services (2)

Siân Berry: Given the number of recent issues with unsuitable advertisements on Transport for London (TfL) services will you consider carrying out a more comprehensive review of TfL advertising policies?

Sadiq Khan: TfL has a comprehensive and rigorous advertising policy and copy review process, and its media partners continue to work with advertisers to ensure all advertising that runs on TfL’s network complies with both TfL policy and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulations.
TfL’s advertising policy is not static; it is adapted and updated to respond to changing circumstances. In June 2016, a month after I was first elected as Mayor, I instructed TfL to update its policy to ensure advertising does not cause pressure to conform to an unrealistic or unhealthy body shape or create body confidence issues, particularly amongst young people. In February 2019, I asked TfL to update its policy again to include restrictions on advertising for food and non‑alcoholic drinks high in fat, sugar or salt, in support of my
London Food Strategy, which highlighted that London has one of the highest levels of childhood obesity in Europe. In both cases, we have seen advertising on the TfL network has changed for the better since our policy changes were introduced.
I said it in my manifesto: TfL is currently working with the GLA to develop a new policy for advertising associated with harmful gambling. However, TfL is not the regulatory body for out‑of‑home advertising in London, and, as such, TfL advertising policy is underpinned by a requirement for advertisers to comply with the ASA’s advertising codes and advertising guidelines.
TfL’s media partners work closely with the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) to ensure that the ASA’s requirements are correctly interpreted by advertisers. Where necessary, the advice of the CAP may be sought to ensure that in their view, the advertising copy complies with the advertising code. TfL also has further safety mechanisms in place in specific areas; for example, since 2018, TfL has asked its advertising partners to refer all cryptocurrency advertising to them for review prior to it running on TfL estate, so it can ensure that campaigns contain sufficient information to comply with both its policy and the ASA ruling. In response to the ASA’s investigation into some cryptocurrency advertisements following complaints in late 2021, TfL has taken the further interim measure of refusing copy where the advertisement contains imagery or messaging similar in nature to those being investigated. I am pleased that the Government has announced earlier this week they have plans to legislate to address misleading crypto‑asset providers.

Siân Berry: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor, that was a really useful rundown of the events so far. I am here today to put to you, again, an idea I first raised a while ago. In June 2019 I had an oral question in the old City Hall about having a wider review of advertising policies, and then I asked you for a proactive review in order to anticipate some of these things rather than waiting for new scandals.
After the 2021 election, I pitched to your team a proposal with two parts. Now, I know the idea of charging differently for things with different social and environmental impacts went down very, very badly at that meeting, and I am not pressing that one today, but the other part I think would solve a lot of problems and fuss. This was to take a specific ‘green list’ approach to permitted product categories, not one that is just reactive and leaves us playing whack‑a‑mole with new problems as they emerge, such as the cryptocurrencies you have talked about and also, the short‑term lettings companies that we had to retrospectively ban. It has been a real issue to have to keep fixing things. It has taken a while, for example, to ban gambling adverts, but we saw a surge last year when people were particularly vulnerable.
I just wondered, would you be prepared to discuss again with me this aspect of my proposals, the ‘green list’ approach, where new product categories need to apply and demonstrate they are not going to harm Londoners before they get to be included in the policy?

Sadiq Khan: TfL works in partnership with not just its media partners, but those responsible for advertising, both regulations and the code. We are always proactive in relation to issues that we think are emerging, and our criteria is far more rigorous than the advertising standards. For example, we are doing some thinking in relation to fossil fuels‑‑

Siân Berry: Exactly, that as well, yes.

Sadiq Khan: ‑‑ in relation to what goes on there. However, we cannot be prescriptive. We are adapting our policies to make sure they meet the needs of the market and our third‑party partners, while also being a responsible place where adverts are placed.
The responsibility on TfL is twin‑fold. First, we have to make sure we maximise revenues for the reasons I have rehearsed in relation to the financial challenges caused by the pandemic, but also, we have a responsibility‑‑

Siân Berry: Yes. If I can clarify that, I am talking about a change in approach from essentially what we have now, which is a banned list, to a green list, a list that then people need to apply to join. That is a change in approach completely. I did not expect you not to have any issues with this, and I have asked for a further discussion. Would you be prepared to help organise that, maybe with you or with the people at TfL who might have practical questions?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, I find it is of huge benefit to both me and Londoners to regularly meet with Siân, and so I am more than happy to organise for such a meeting.

Siân Berry: Thank you, Mr Mayor. You will do it anyway at the end, so let us just get it over with.

Sadiq Khan: Listen, I am there for all Londoners, Siân, including you.

Woolwich Ferry Dispute

Keith Prince: Unite has been in dispute with TfL over the Woolwich Ferry for more than a year. Which party do you believe is in the wrong?

Sadiq Khan: I understand how important the Woolwich Ferry is. It is a vital part of London’s transport network, providing a much-needed, free cross-river link for pedestrians, cyclists, cars, vans and lorries between Woolwich and North Woolwich. It is used by an estimated 2.6million passengers annually.
I was pleased when TfL took over the management contract for the ferry last year and so it now runs the service as well as owning it. We made this change so we could bring a renewed focused on meeting customer need and improving reliability. It was apparent that there had been significant industrial relations issues within the organisation. It was the right decision to bring the service back inhouse and I was glad to have the support of the trade union Unite in that decision.
TfL wants to create a best-in-class service for the Woolwich Ferry in terms of safety standards, customer services, affordability, performance, reliability, and employee satisfaction. We want the Woolwich Ferry to meet Vision Zero safety principles and be a leader in the maritime sector.
Since this dispute began, TfL has continually made itself available for discussions with Unite with the sole aim of reaching a resolution. TfL has made a number of offers during this time in a bid to resolve the dispute but, regrettably, no agreement has been reached. I met with the General Secretary of Unite in November [2021] to discuss the union’s concerns and follow-up meetings have been scheduled. TfL really is committed to resolving this dispute so that we can keep pressing forward with improvements to the ferry service.
TfL has a well-defined set of objectives for a safe, sustainable, successful, and affordable Woolwich Ferry service, which it has shared with Unite. I believe agreement around these could provide the foundation for both resolving the current dispute and for the future of the ferry. I hope that going back to these principles can help move discussions forward. TfL remains committed to the future safe and reliable operations of the Woolwich Ferry and to working with Unite to resolve the dispute.
It is disappointing that the further talks that took place earlier this week have not been able to move things forward and I would urge Unite to come back to the negotiating table so that a solution can be found.

Keith Prince: Thank you, MrMayor. As you know, this is a vital link in east London. Until you get your Silvertown Tunnel built, which we welcome, there is no way that larger lorries can get across. Indeed, even double-decker buses cannot get across.
Will you personally intervene, MrMayor? I know you indicated that you may have had some talks, but it really has been a bit of a shipwreck since TfL has taken over, which is regrettable because we all welcomed TfL taking over, to be honest. Do you think you can personally intervene to ensure that the service gets back to normal and that we have the service that Londoners deserve?

Sadiq Khan: Thank you for your question and the way you asked it. I agree. I share your concerns.
There are two points to make. Firstly, it is just worth reminding ourselves that there were historical industrial relations issues and this is the legacy of that.
Secondly, yes, I do intend to get more involved in trying to resolve this. There is a way forward. A lot of the issues are legacy issues and so they are not issues that have come because of TfL. We will do whatever we can because - you are spot on - for certain people driving certain vehicles in that part of our city, it is crucial.

Keith Prince: OK. We will hold you to that, MrMayor. Thank you.

Hate crime

Keith Prince: What more can you do to encourage the reporting of hate crime?

Sadiq Khan: It is vital that Londoners feel confident to report hate crime. Doing so provides the best opportunity for victims to be supported and for the police to catch the perpetrators. London’s diversity is one of its greatest assets. An attack on someone simply because of who they are is an attack on us all, and my determination to take a zero tolerance approach to hate crime is undiminished in my second term.
To get more people to report hate crime we must understand the barriers to reporting. Firstly, there is sometimes a lack of understanding and awareness of hate crime and what it is. We know that even victims of hate crime, some of whom face abuse or attack every time they leave the house, can normalise this abuse to the point they do not recognise that what has happened to them is a criminal offence. I have taken a number of steps to address this. I fund the London resources for National Hate Crime Awareness Week and Londoners will have seen the Stand Up Against Hate Crime campaign on the transport network. I also funded a
Together Against Hate outreach programme, which included local community organisations, producing awareness‑raising material in formats appropriate to their own communities.
Another barrier is victim confidence to report, and confidence that action will be taken. To help address this, the MPS has improved its training so that officers can better recognise hate crime and provide a robust investigation. The MPS also now assesses the situation of all victims of hate crime to ensure that appropriate victim support can be offered. Many victims feel more confident about engaging with the police and criminal justice process with the support of specialist organisations. The new Hate Crime Victim Service supports a number of specialist victim support organisations who can accept reports that victims make to them rather than directly to the police.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales indicates that the number of people who say they have experienced hate crime has fallen over the last decade, while we know the number of hate crimes reported continues to increase. That shows that the hard work we, the police and communities have done is delivering results. More people are reporting what has happened to them. However, the same survey still indicates that hate crime remains significantly under‑reported, so I am determined that our work to raise awareness, provide support to victims and build the confidence to report hate crime will carry on.

Keith Prince: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I am very short of time. I was going to debate the different types of reporting and the different levels of reporting on the different types of crime, but the big ask really is ‑ and you are right, we need to get more of these reported, I agree with you ‑ would you commit to doing an advertising campaign on the Underground and on the advertising spaces that you have to encourage more people to report hate crime and explain the different routes they have? They do not have to go via the police.

Sadiq Khan: As I mentioned, we do have the campaign on the Underground. I am slightly nervous because the Chairman of the Budget and Performance Committee is always criticising me for spending resources, time, and effort on marketing. If he can get her to agree to this, I am sure I can look into this.

Keith Prince: We are not promoting you, Mr Mayor, we are trying to get people to report hate crime.

Sadiq Khan: Advertisements cost money. If he can persuade the Chairman of his Budget and Performance Committee to see the benefits of marketing, to see the benefits of promotion, I am more than happy to look into ideas he has. It is another example of the left hand of the Conservative Party not knowing what the right hand is doing.

Bond Street Station Crossrail Works

Emma Best: By what date are the Bond Street Station Crossrail works expected to be completed?

Sadiq Khan: The Elizabeth line will transform life and travel in London and the southeast, reducing journey times, creating much‑needed capacity with longer trains and spacious stations, transforming accessibility and providing a huge economic boost for the country. When fully open, the Elizabeth line will increase central London’s rail capacity by 10%. Significant progress continues to be made and the project is now in its complex final stages, with the central section due to open in the first half of this year. Eight out of 10 stations in the central section have now been handed over to TfL with Canary Wharf due to be handed over by the end of this month.
BondStreet has always been the station that has faced the most challenges in terms of installation, construction and fit‑out works. It was also uniquely affected by COVID‑19. Due to the extent of the work remaining, and the number of people required onsite to complete the station during the pandemic, the work at Bond Street had had to be replanned. Towards the end of last year, we commenced the first phase of Trial Operations on the new railway, in line with the earliest forecast dates. This is the final phase of the Crossrail programme and part of the process by which we ensure the Elizabeth line can open with the highest levels of reliability and safety.
BondStreet has met its requirement to support Trial Operations. This means that the station is ready for full‑scale passenger evacuation and emergency intervention. This is the minimum requirement needed for the railway to enter into passenger service and is key to ensuring the Elizabeth line opens safely. BondStreet remains at a less advanced stage than the other Elizabeth line central London stations, but good progress continues to now be made.

Andrew Boff: May I interrupt you there? Apologies, but the Conservative Group is now out of time, so we have to move on to the next question.

Emma Best: Sorry, Chair, could I just clarify. Did I miss a date in that answer? Did I miss the date?

Sadiq Khan: If you had more time, I could answer that, couldn’t I?

Andrew Boff: Can I suggest that you write to the Member with a date? Thank you.

Waste and food waste over Christmas

Leonie Cooper: The Christmas and New Year period often results in high levels of waste, including and especially food waste. Were there any initiatives worked up by ReLondon, with Boroughs, to help reduce waste across this period?

Sadiq Khan: ReLondon is a statutory body of the Mayor of London and London’s boroughs to which I appoint the Chair, and it plays a vital role in improving waste and resource management and supporting the transition to a circular economy across the capital. Reducing waste, especially food waste, is an important part of helping to achieve a net zero carbon London by 2030. Through the
London Recycles campaign, ReLondon targeted advertising throughout December[2021] at residents of the 19 boroughs with the lowest recycling rates. This gave advice on reducing waste and recycling food, paper, card, and Christmas trees and provided sustainable gift ideas. The campaign was delivered through a variety of outputs to maximise reach, including ad bikes cycling in high footfall areas, animated YouTube adverts and content on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, designed to reach over one million Londoners. ReLondon also promoted advice on Christmas-related waste topics through broadcast media. ITV, for example, carried four news segments in December[2021], covering advice on recycling over Christmas. ReLondon has also released a series of videos to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver shortages on recycling collections across the capital. These asked Londoners to continue recycling, be patient with collections and reduce their waste to ease the burden on frontline services. This advice was also provided in a toolkit to all of London’s boroughs for use in their own local messaging.
I supported this work from City Hall by running a social media campaign, Go Green This Christmas, to raise awareness of this issue and information was provided promptly on the GLA website to give tips for Londoners on how to make their Christmas more sustainable. Finally, with support from my Green New Deal Fund, ReLondon has provided financial and advisory support to The Felix Project, London’s largest food redistribution charity, which does fantastic work, tackling food waste and food poverty. In December[2021] alone, The Felix Project rescued over 1,200 tonnes of surplus food to provide three million meals to vulnerable Londoners.

Léonie Cooper: Thank you very much, MrMayor, and clearly this is an area where there is still much to do, very valuable work that will help with addressing the climate emergency. You ended there by talking about food waste and, as you know, food waste makes up about 26% of London’s household waste, which is about 780,000 tonnes altogether. If all of that food waste was separately collected and sent for anaerobic digestion, it would save about 375,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions every year. I know that your team has been agreeing Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs) with all the boroughs, but we still have nine boroughs that are not separating out food waste. Is there anything more that can be done to persuade those boroughs towards that? I know the Government is stepping up on this now and talking about 2024, but can we move any faster because this is such an important area?

Sadiq Khan: Yes, it is a real problem and, by the way, thank you for your advocacy on this really important issue and also your education that you do to Londoners by talking about there being more we can do to reduce, particularly food, waste. There is some good news, and you are right in relation to the plans we have had. Twenty-eight boroughs now have separate food waste collections or are undertaking trials and pilots, which is progress. The borough we both live in has been slow to join the party, but it is now talking about and is doing pilots and trials. Of the five remaining boroughs where there is not even a trial or a pilot, four of them have got a long-term contract that does not end until 2027 so it is a bit more challenging. The other one is Barnet, which had previously committed to reintroduce food waste collection by April2022, but it is now seeking to delay this, and we are going to continue conversations with them. What we really need is Londoners to put pressure on their councils. “People power”, to rephrase a quote from a famous Tooting boy - not me - Citizen Wolfie Smith [tv character], is what we need, Londoners putting pressure on their councils to do much, much more for the reasons that you know well.

Léonie Cooper: It is really important that we all do. I know that we talk quite a lot about the number of incinerators in London and also the potential for increasing incinerators. It has been very disappointing - and I know you wrote to Government - about the increase in incineration at Belvedere. The only way to really persuade people that we do not need more incinerators - because the figures at the moment used through the Development Consent Order (DCO), which came from Government to agree that additional incinerator - is because we are still not doing enough to reduce food waste.

Sadiq Khan: One of the things that would necessitate councils doing more is if they had to because there was not capacity to burn the stuff or to land fill. It is a chicken and egg. If councils think there is more capacity so they do not need to make more progress on food, they will do that. That is why we really need a sort of pincer movement from the Government and from Londoners and ourselves to put pressure on the councils. Look, councils have difficult financial challenges. There may be some who may need to renegotiate their contracts and stuff, but we need councils to understand that we support them having the responsibility for refuse and waste. I do not want powers taken away from them - devolution should mean the powers are going down - but it should bring with it a responsibility to do more because you have highlighted the figures. That sort of carbon tonnes lost does not need to be lost if there was less food waste.

Léonie Cooper: I wanted to also ask you some more about what we could do in terms of the logistical supply chain. There is also an awful lot of food that gets thrown away, and 836,000 tonnes of imported food is lost or thrown away before it reaches London. I have run out of time, so I am not going to be able to ask you that one, sorry, but thank you very much.

Standards in Public Life

Len Duvall: At the beginning of a new year, do you agree with me that we should be looking to all those that have a position in public life to be meeting a standard of propriety?

Sadiq Khan: It is of the utmost importance that everyone in public life meets the highest standards of propriety now, and every day of the year. Rules and laws must be followed by everyone, but people who are elected to public office have an additional responsibility to set the best example. Representing your community is a huge privilege. When Londoners see their elected representatives flouting the rules, it undermines public confidence in the democratic process.
The COVID regulations imposed significant restrictions on our most fundamental liberties to control the spread of the virus. This changed everyone’s lives overnight. We did not see our families for months. Some people were not able to leave their homes. Young people had their educations disrupted. Many people lost their incomes. For some people, the regulations had consequences most of us can never imagine. They were not able to attend their loved ones’ funerals. People died alone. However, we stuck to the rules because we knew it was the right thing to do.
Now we know that all the while, members of the party of the Government were flouting the laws they themselves established. They were attending drinks parties and celebrations whilst Londoners did the right thing and stuck to the rules. They were laughing about it, and it feels like they were laughing at us. We have heard mealy-mouthed apologies from those who have been caught out.
We might ask why these are forthcoming only when the photos or emails appear in the papers. The AssemblyMember pictured at a party on 14December2020 stood down as Chair of the Police and Crime Committee on 14December2021, exactly a year later, and only when his picture appeared in a national newspaper.
It is worth reflecting on this. He continued to chair the committee responsible for scrutinising the work of the MPS for a full year after he broke a law established to protect us against a deadly pandemic. We have now seen him step down as Chair of the Economy Committee and, up until today, vanish from this Chamber.
His resignation as an AssemblyMember must surely now be an inevitability. Londoners deserve much better representatives than that.

Len Duvall: Of course, there was and there are comments about what has gone on in the national Government and then there are issues relating to the conduct of Members of this Assembly.
Let us be honest. The Monitoring Officer has come to a view in response to an all-party response about those issues, and that needs to be followed up. She decided that the Member is not going to be called to account because the activities occurred outside GLA activities. That is questionable and that needs to be reflected on and answered. For today, let us be very clear. The conduct of the Member was not just‑‑

Andrew Boff: AssemblyMemberDuvall, you are very well aware that the job of this Chamber is to question the Mayor about his responsibilities and so I would just ask you to continue on that basis.

Len Duvall: Chair, I am about to get to a question. I will try to get to it, and I will get to it as quickly as I can.
The conduct of us all as AssemblyMembers is not just a party-political issue for one particular Group. It reflects on us all. In terms of following the rules and the guidance during a national emergency when there was loss of life, people were asked to restrict their activities to protect others.
It is a matter for the Conservative Group to carry out discipline for their own members and no doubt they will tell us what they have done or not done in that case. I understand Conservative colleagues in the Conservative office were disciplined by the Party for the flagrant breach that took place. The individual could resign. That is a matter for him. We cannot make that individual resign.
MrMayor, do you agree that he seems to have apologised to [the Rt Hon] Boris Johnson [MP, Prime Minister] - I am not sure what for; being caught - and he even apologised to his mum on national television, but he needs to apologise to Londoners, he needs to apologise to his colleagues in this Assembly and he needs to apologise to his colleagues in the Conservative Group who have tried to uphold the rules and the laws and every one of us? What his actions have done, in misleading the media over whether he was at the party or not, is to bring us all into disrepute.
Therefore, an apology is owed to us. An apology is owed to Londoners. MrMayor, would you not agree that he should do the right thing and apologise to us in the first instance?

Sadiq Khan: We have heard a carefully scripted apology from the Prime Minister, which I suspect was written by a member of the profession that the Prime Minister regularly criticises and chastises. I have no doubt that very shortly we will be hearing a very similarly scripted apology or non-apology from the said Member. Let us wait and see, Chair.

Andrew Boff: Are you complete, AssemblyMember, on your question? Are you finished?

Len Duvall: I just thought there might be an answer or an apology or someone getting up and apologising. I just had a pause.
In that sense, MrMayor, in terms of our conduct, just going back to what we said earlier on, is it incumbent on us, whether are doing GLA activities or not, to uphold the rules and the laws of this country at all times and not to mislead people about situations for over a year, and mislead colleagues about what took place without some calling to account? We have heard what the Monitoring Officer has said. Do you think that the minimum that could be said is that a public apology is required to Londoners and that it is best it takes place in this Chamber whilst the opportunity is here?

Sadiq Khan: You and I have knocked on enough doors and spoken to enough Londoners to understand that Londoners are not stupid. The problem Londoners have is they are seeing people in positions of power and influence blatantly breaking the rules and laughing about it, at the same time as they are lecturing us to follow the rules. It is not just the law-breaking. It is not just the lies. It is the hypocrisy. It is very difficult for you and me to go out tomorrow and ask Londoners to follow new rules, and to follow the regulations when there has been no comeuppance for those who have flagrantly broken the rules. That is why it is so important in relation to the Prime Minister’s conduct and somebody who, had circumstances been different, could have been sitting in this chair as the Mayor of this great city. It is flabbergasting.

Len Duvall: Do you think that silence, then, MrMayor, just shows the contempt that people hold for the public and for those Londoners who make those sacrifices and those who have lost loved ones as well? Do you think the silence is coming from the right people across the table?

Andrew Boff: This Assembly has a specific function of holding the Mayor to account. There are other ways of holding Assembly Members to account and it is not the function of this body. AssemblyMemberDuvall, you know more than any of us that that is what this body is for. I would ask you to phrase your questions‑‑

Len Duvall: Chair, in my defence, I am asking about the conduct of Assembly Members in carrying out their business and the Mayor’s view of that. I am entitled to that in holding him to account and in what we would expect. At the same time, there are opportunities when Members in this Chamber should do the right thing before even being called to do it.

Andrew Boff: Look, as long as you get the Mayor’s opinion on that, that is fine.

Len Duvall: That is what I am seeking to do.

Omicron and Metropolitan Police Service

Krupesh Hirani: What is the impact of Omicron on the Metropolitan Police Service and what additional support do they need this year?

Sadiq Khan: The COVID‑19 pandemic continues to pose considerable challenges to all emergency services. I want to thank and recognise all those responsible for the hard work they have been doing to keep us safe over the last two years.
I remain in close contact with the MPS Commissioner and receive twice‑weekly updates on the number of officers who are sick or isolating. The current overall rate of absence due to sick and self‑isolating officers is around 10%. The rate peaked at the beginning of January[2022] at 13.5% and has been slowly decreasing since. There will, of course, be times of increased absence rates in some teams and Basic Command Unit areas. Officers and staff are stepping in for their colleagues when they are unwell or self‑isolating. This does add extra pressure but the MPS is using its resources flexibly, and I am assured that this is being managed well.
Owing to my investment and the partial reversal of Government cuts, the MPS has more officers than at any time since 2010; 33,212 as at the end of November 2021. Nonetheless, these absences are undoubtedly putting additional pressure on officers. We must all keep playing our part to limit the spread of the virus by wearing face coverings on public transport and other places where it is not possible to keep a social distance, and, importantly, to get vaccinated.

Krupesh Hirani: Just addressing one issue you touched on at the end, which is partially reversing cuts in police officers, we were recently told that we were going to receive 4,500 officers as part of the Government’s national uplift, well short of the 6,000 the Commissioner called for from Government to keep London safe. I am concerned, for one, about the MPS’s capacity to deal with non‑violent crimes that are high in volume such as burglary and theft. One particular issue that is affecting my constituency is catalytic converter theft, which is on the rise and has risen over 77% in Brent and Harrow over the last few years. If the MPS is to prevent crimes such as these, how important is it to have the adequate policing numbers to address them?

Sadiq Khan: You raise an issue that causes real distress to those Londoners who own vehicles who have had their catalytic converter pinched. People come along, jack up the car, saw the exhaust off and take away that catalytic converter to make money from its cell. On the one hand, we will carry on lobbying the Government for more police officers. We are still being short‑changed. I met the Home Secretary this week and lobbied her again for more police officers. The reason why it is important is because if we are having to ration the time police officers have because of limited numbers, those sorts of offences, which cause huge distress to some Londoners, are not the priority that they should be.
In the absence of us getting the officers we need; the police still are working hard. We are making sure that we are having cat [catalytic converter] marking events using SmartWater products. We are working with those who have cash for scrap to do what we can to avoid these materials having money made from them. We are doing what we can to work with the Society of Motor Manufacturers in relation to what they can do to help us in this area. However, that is one example of a consequence of cuts in policing over an 11‑year period.

Krupesh Hirani: Thank you. Research that I have sought from the police has found that 86% of these crimes occur on Toyota, Honda, or Lexus vehicles. I have written to these companies to see what they can do. We have a recall system, for example, where we have safety defects, where vehicles can be called back to the manufacturer to fix them. Would you join my call to make sure that those vehicles that are more susceptible to these types of crimes are called back so that they can be made as safe as possible, without charge to the consumer? It is an issue that I think we were unaware of when these vehicles were produced or sold. The newer ones seem to have tackled it, but the older vehicles are still susceptible to this crime. Is this something that you would like to see manufacturers do more on?

Sadiq Khan: Chair, Assembly Member Hirani has raised an important issue and a good example of where his expertise can help me. Chair, why don’t I speak to the Assembly Member offline, he can share with me the letters he has written, and I can amplify that? I can also make contact with the manufacturers that he is talking about and ask the police also to use Assembly Member Hirani’s expertise to write to the Society of Motor Manufacturers as well, who are the umbrella group. Some of your experience locally and the work you have done, we may be able to amplify across the rest of London as well.

Krupesh Hirani: Thank you. Just addressing police numbers as well, yesterday I had the pleasure of joining the new Wembley Town Centre Team, as part of the new initiative of Town Centre Teams that you are rolling out all across London. It is having a real difference in increasing public confidence. We spoke about trust in the police before in other Assembly Member questions but businesses and residents that I spoke to were very receptive. They felt that police were on the streets and were around. Twenty‑one additional officers in just a small space is making such a huge difference.

Sadiq Khan: That is fantastic. You will be aware of the reassurance it gives people ‑ particularly at night time, women and girls ‑ seeing high‑visibility policing. Also, businesses love seeing police officers in their town centres as well. I am really pleased we have these 620 additional officers in our town centres. The latest tranche will be joining in February[2022]. It is a good example of the investment from City Hall and the benefits of our lobbying, which some did not like in this Assembly, which has led to a partial U‑turn from the Government.

Krupesh Hirani: Thank you.

Omicron and Covid-19 Update

Onkar Sahota: Following your conversations with the NHS and local councils, can you provide an update on how COVID-19 and the Omicron variant are impacting the NHS and social care in London and Londoners generally?

Sadiq Khan: I want to begin by thanking all our wonderful health and care staff - and I know you have a personal involvement in this area and members of your family - who have continued to work tirelessly throughout this pandemic, and to all Londoners who have made huge sacrifices to protect themselves, their loved ones, their communities and our frontline services.
I know how angry they are about the behaviour of ShaunBailey [AM] that we saw in the newspapers very recently and his failure to apologise even today when offered the chance to do so by LenDuvall [AM] and by CarolineRussell [AM].
Omicron has hit London hard, spreading rapidly. We saw the highest case rates in England in the initial phases. The NHS and social care have never been under greater pressure with increased demand for services and staff absences due to sickness or isolation on top of existing vacancy rates and long-term chronic underfunding. There are encouraging signs that COVID case rates are now plateauing. However, rates remain high following a peak at New Year and are anticipated to reduce only slowly. I continue to meet regularly with London’s senior NHS and public health leaders and receive comprehensive briefings on the progression of the pandemic, the vaccination programme and the impact of COVID and Omicron on the health and care system. The NHS is closely monitoring the situation.
The most important thing Londoners can do to protect themselves and their communities is to get vaccinated, whether it is a first, second or third dose.

Onkar Sahota: Thank you, MrMayor, for that answer and thank you for all the nice words you said about me and also about the NHS workers. I am sorry I could not join you personally at the new City Hall because I have to go to a funeral at midday. I wanted to explain this to you. Otherwise, I would love to have joined you in the new City Hall.
Yesterday we saw the Prime Minister say that the wearing of masks is not required by law in closed spaces and on TfL. You had to put out a press statement saying that it is still a requirement of carriage on TfL to wear a mask. Do you think the Prime Minister’s decision was made on a scientific basis or simply the fact that he may have been knocked senseless by the knockabout he got in the House of Commons in Prime Minister’s Questions?

Sadiq Khan: Yes, it is a really important issue you raise. Look, all the evidence now is there in relation to the difference facemask-wearing makes. I recently read an article - I am sure you did - in the British Medical Journal that had a comprehensive analysis of studies done in relation to facemask-wearing. What it showed was a 53% less chance of catching the virus by wearing a facemask. This was international analysis. Actually, one of the most effective - I think the most effective – non-pharmaceutical intervention is wearing a facemask when you cannot keep your social distance like on public transport.
It is astonishing. We have had a Conservative Member today talking about being packed like sardines on the Tube, yet no mention of his Prime Minister saying it is OK not to wear a facemask on public transport. The reason for this can only be because we know for ideological reasons there are members of the Conservative Party who sit in Parliament and who have a role in deciding whether this Prime Minister stays in work whilst being against facemask wearing. Rather than choosing the advice and experience of people like DrSusanHopkins [Chief Medical Advisor Transition Lead, UK Health Security Agency], people he employees to chair the relevant agencies and other medical experts, he has chosen to side with his backbench Members of Parliament (MPs) whose support he needs to stay in his job.
I worry about people who may now catch the virus because people next to them are not wearing a facemask - they may have the virus and pass it on and not be symptomatic - or they, because they are not wearing a facemask, may be more susceptible to catching it.

Onkar Sahota: We know that of course having the backing of legislation does increase the compliance of mask wearing by 10% to 15%. I hope that everyone in the Assembly can use their influence, either in the Labour Party or otherwise in the Conservative Party, to get the Prime Minister to realise that the pandemic still is not over.
The second issue of course is our schoolchildren, who have really paid the price of missing out on education and educational experiences due to COVID. We want the schools to be functioning. Is the Government doing enough to get the right ventilation and the right appliances for cleaning the air in schools or can we do more to make sure that schools do not shut down as a result of the pandemic not being over at the moment?

Sadiq Khan: Can I just say, I had a meeting last week with the new
Education Secretary and I was incredibly impressed with [the Rt Hon] NadhimZahawi’s [MP] understanding. Also, he is making sure there is delivery of the monitors and the ventilators across our schools. What he has agreed to do is -- we are in regular contact now and, if we hear reports from schools that are lacking the ventilators or the right monitors, he will rapidly respond to those particular schools. We are in contact with the trade union and the schools across the city. Deputy Mayor [for Children and Families] JoanneMcCartney [AM] is making sure we have close contact with those schools.
You will know as a parent and also as a Member of the Assembly of the impact on a child’s education by a child missing school. We want to minimise schools closing down, children being excluded and so forth. That is why it is so important to encourage children to take up the vaccine and to wear a face mask when they cannot keep their distance, but also to make sure any concerns around ventilation, extractor fans and so forth are addressed.
I am far more confident with this Education Secretary than I was with the previous one. He really does seem to get it. His experience working on a cross-party basis as the Vaccines Minister [Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment] is a good sign for our city and, more importantly, for our children who need a decent education safe from this virus.

Onkar Sahota: Thank you, MrMayor.

Domestic abuse and homelessness

Sakina Sheikh: How are we protecting Londoners, predominantly women, who are becoming homeless as a consequence of domestic abuse?

Sadiq Khan: Survivors of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls should not have to choose between safety and a home. Preventing their homelessness is critical, as is tackling the violence itself, and we are funding several programmes to help achieve this. We have invested over £50million in programmes to address the actions of perpetrators, including to prevent further abuse and upheaval for survivors. My £1.5million COVID response for people fleeing violence has so far supported over 300 adults and children. My Pan‑London Housing Reciprocal and Housing Moves schemes help survivors in social housing to move to safety and retain their tenancy rights.
Addressing the needs of homeless women is a key part of the work plan of the jointly‑led City Hall and London borough Life Off the Streets group. I am using my new powers and funding under Part4 of the
Domestic Abuse Act to improve support for survivors in safe accommodation. My recently published
Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Strategy sets out proposals to ensure all survivors can access safe accommodation with the support they need. I welcome the change in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to extend priority need to all survivors of domestic abuse.
Since becoming Mayor, ensuring London is safe for women and tackling rough sleeping have been personal priorities of mine. It is critical that the work we have pioneered on both, including during the pandemic, does not go to waste. This requires sustainable and substantial resource from the Government as well as policy changes to tackle the root causes.

Sakina Sheikh: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor, and it is good to be in this new Chamber for our first MQT of the year.
Mr Mayor, based on research when I was leading up to this question it became very apparent to me that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women and transgender people fall through the data gap on domestic abuse. Many groups who advocate on this suggest exactly that, and that the assessment of what constitutes domestic abuse does not adequately reflect the experiences of BAME women and transgender people who are victims of domestic abuse. How can we at City Hall help address this?

Sadiq Khan: First, we have to recognise that the issue you raise is an important one. Although in numerical terms it may be a smaller number, they are vulnerable. The first thing we can do, and we are doing, is support those groups that work with these people in London. That is why we are funding Black‑led groups, BAME‑led groups, and also groups with expertise to help the trans Londoners that you are referring to. They have the credibility and the reach to reach these Londoners and they need support. Our funding gives them the support to be able to do so.
Secondly, we have to make sure that the support the Government is giving London Councils and ourselves is used to help the most vulnerable Londoners. That includes the group you are talking about.
Thirdly, mainstream groups should also be understanding the responsibility they have to talk about these groups who can, as you have alluded to, fall through the cracks, to make sure they get the help that they need as well.

Sakina Sheikh: Thank you. Following on from Assembly Member McCartney’s question at the last MQT on exactly this, on 21December2021 the Government announced the Homelessness Prevention Grant. £5.8million will be allocated to people and councils to support people who are being made homeless from domestic abuse. How much of that was being allocated to London and what is that going toward specifically?

Sadiq Khan: The Government allocated this money because it was a new burden on councils. They allocated more than £300million to English local authorities. Of the £315million, London received £5.8million. This will be councils using the money to help the group of people we are talking about. These are the new burdens placed on councils because of the change in legislation in relation to priority need.
Frankly speaking, we need much more to provide the safe accommodation, build the homes and so forth. At the moment, what I am afraid will happen is that temporary accommodation will be used. We are paying monies to private landlords when, had we built the homes ourselves, we could provide help long‑term for far more people.

Sakina Sheikh: Thank you. That long‑term and holistic solution is still much‑needed, from what I can hear. I will be following up with you if that is OK, given that I know over Christmas[2021] you were going to speak with some specialist groups who deal with specifically people who are made homeless from domestic abuse. It would be good to hear what they said.

Sadiq Khan: Absolutely.

Sakina Sheikh: I look forward to following up on that with you.

TfL’s Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement

Elly Baker: What impact does continued uncertainty and last-minute extensionsto TfL’s funding have on London’s transport system?

Sadiq Khan: Having again taken this to the last day of the previous funding agreement in December[2021], the Government extended TfL’s funding support until 4 February[2022]. We have no certainty of what will happen after that. As I have said before, without adequate funding TfL will have to move to a managed decline scenario, meaning severe cuts to services and capital investment. The pandemic is the only reason TfL is facing a financial crisis. These short-term deals are trapping TfL on life support, rather than putting it on a path to long-term sustainability. Rather than supporting the capital city, the Government is forcing us to raise additional revenue through measures like council tax, punishing Londoners for doing the right thing and avoiding public transport during the pandemic, as the Government told them to do.
The Government must realise that London is the motor of the UK and TfL has a critical role to play in driving the national economic recovery. London contributes more than £36billion net to the Treasury each year, and TfL contributes £7billion to the UK economy and supports 43,000 jobs around the country. We need their skills and expertise. The lack of funding from Government means thousands of jobs are at risk here in London and across the country. Building London buses supports 3,000 skilled green jobs at factories in Scarborough, Falkirk, Leeds, and Ballymena, for example. We cannot do this ourselves. TfL has had to pause awarding new bus contracts since early November[2021]. London bus operators only place vehicle orders when new contracts have been awarded, meaning the lack of a long-term funding deal is having an immediate impact on the order books for UK bus manufacturers. London Underground renewals support jobs across the country. Siemens, for example, has committed to build a new train manufacturing facility at Goole in Yorkshire, a £200million investment that will create 700 direct and 1,700 indirect jobs.
I have therefore called again on Ministers to stop playing politics with an issue of such great national importance, and to start working with us in good faith so that we can agree a long-term funding deal that will protect London’s transport network for the sake of the capital and the whole country.

Elly Baker: Thank you, MrMayor. Firstly, I would like to follow up with a question about a specific area of your Transport Strategy and how funding might affect that. We heard at Transport Committee last week about the threat to Vision Zero if TfL funding cannot be secured, which would mean no additional
Safer Junctions schemes or transformational road safety schemes, other than those that are planned at the moment. Can you tell us more about how funding uncertainty will affect road safety in the capital?

Sadiq Khan: We have made good progress - I want us to go even faster - in relation to making our roads safer, in particular for cyclists and pedestrians. One of the reasons why we are increasing capacity in relation to the MPS enforcement is to try to make our roads safer. As we are on a managed decline scenario and because there is no certainty of funding, we are having to pause certain pieces of work - some are so advanced we cannot pause and it does not make sense - but also, we cannot look at new schemes. You will be aware that road dangers evolve; new dangers we discover today that were not around six months ago. Some of the schemes we are working on on the Safer Junctions schemes were not known a number of years ago. They are known; we took action. There are a number of issues. Those that we are currently trying to fix and sort out that we know about may not happen or they may happen slower, but also new threats cannot be dealt with.
The other point is this. You will be aware most of the roads are owned and controlled by councils and we give the councils funding for them to make improvements. We will not be able to do that either and councils have not got the money themselves to make these improvements. Again, final point, we are trying to encourage people to leave their cars at home, to not use petrol and diesel and to walk and cycle and use public transport. The Government is making that really difficult with the way it is treating TfL.

Elly Baker: Yes, thank you. Thank you for that update. Following up on that, as we know, TfL will be forced under a managed decline scenario to cut the number of Tube and bus services if sufficient funding is not forthcoming. Is the Government’s perceived lack of support for public transport, which would result in these services cuts, eroding the public’s faith in the future of public transport and what might be the impact on both car usage, as you said, and revenue from fares?

Sadiq Khan: There is a more basic point. Let us just talk about today. From today, the working from home advice changes. Are you going to be encouraged and enticed to come back to the office if there are 10% fewer buses or 20% fewer Tubes or you cannot get the quality of service that you have been used to? We need people to return to the office because that helps our economy, it helps mentoring, it helps creativity and so forth. In the medium to long term, how are we going to have modal shift if there are not good, attractive, accessible, safe, and affordable alternatives? That is why it is so important for us to persuade the Government, but it appears the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. The Government’s own zero carbon strategy would encourage, you would have thought, the Department for Transport (DfT) to give us the support we need. That is why we are, before 4February[2022] trying to make them understand it is in the country’s interests to give TfL the funding that we so desperately need, only needed because of the pandemic.

Elly Baker: Thank you, MrMayor. Thanks, Chair.

London’s economy

Marina Ahmad: What impact has Omicron had on London’s economy this winter?

Sadiq Khan: The impact of the Omicron variant on London’s economy this winter has been very severe. December [2021] was a huge disappointment for London’s hospitality, retail, culture, and leisure businesses, with takings down significantly in the weeks leading up to Christmas compared to pre-pandemic levels. The number of people travelling into central London fell following the implementation of the Government’s PlanB guidance to work from home. Central London’s shopping and theatre districts like the West End saw a big drop in footfall compared to pre-pandemic levels, which continued into the New Year.
Today we have published updated tourism forecasts showing that in the final quarter of last year, domestic and international visitor nights to London were down 40% compared to the equivalent quarter in 2019 and spend related to those down by 60%. The latest survey by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows that between the third and fourth quarters of 2021 there was a worsening in London’s business confidence in the UK and the London economies and in their own companies’ prospects for the next 12 months. December takings are crucial for London’s shops, restaurants, theatres, nightclubs, and pubs, which rely on the income to keep them afloat in the leaner months that follow. After an extremely challenging and volatile 20 months, the loss of anticipated income will undoubtedly and dramatically impact businesses’ ability and confidence in the first months of 2022.
With COVID infection rates and hospital admissions having peaked in London, I hope the Government’s upcoming review of PlanB measures will make the removal of some restrictions possible and will make a difference on the ground. Either way, our world-renowned hospitality, retail, culture, and leisure businesses still need further help. The package of measures announced by the Chancellor on 21December [2021] did not provide the level of support required, which was disappointing after members of the London COVID Business Forum and I set out what was required to the Government following our last meeting. I continue to urge the Government to provide full business rates relief, an extension of the Value added tax (VAT) relief scheme, and a more sustainable increase in direct grant funding to help London’s businesses this winter.

Marina Ahmad: Thank you, MrMayor. Many Londoners receive low levels of sick pay, which leads to them, sadly, having to go to work and then spreading the virus. Your Good Work Standard supports employers in improving employment practice.
Do you think that paying sick pay at the London Living Wage rate should be a condition of accreditation to the Good Work Standard and, if not, could it be?

Sadiq Khan: The Good Work Standard is leading to more and more employers being exemplars. Employers should, where they can, enhance their sick leave conditions.
However, the real issue is not those employers who can enhance them. The real issue is the Government changing the levels of statutory sick pay. It currently exists at £96.35, which simply is not enough. If the Government was to increase statutory sick pay to the London Living Wage level, it would mean that those people who should be at home would be at home, and that is why it is important for them to do so. We are going to continue to work with the Good Work Standard employers to see what they can do, but also if they can speak to other employers, who are not quite doing that, to see how they did it so they can share best practice.

Marina Ahmad: Thank you, MrMayor.

London Drugs Commission

Tony Devenish: How do you square your plans for a London Drugs Commission with the comments of the London MP for Holborn and St Pancras?

Sadiq Khan: We know that drugs drive crime, violence and antisocial behaviour, and are damaging Londoners’ health. I have long said that we need a robust evidence base to inform practical policymaking on this important issue. It is time for fresh ideas to reduce the harms drugs and drug‑related crimes cause to individuals, families, and communities.
We are overdue for an evidence‑based review of experience and learning from across the world exploring how best we can reduce harms that drugs like cannabis can cause. That is why my London Drugs Commission will see independent experts from the fields of law, public health, criminal justice, and community relations examine the effectiveness of our drugs laws, with a particular focus on cannabis. I will ask the Commission to bring forward recommendations with the aim of helping to address violent and drug‑related crime, improve public health and help people recover from addiction. What the Commission will not do, however, is look at the classification of ClassA drugs, which I am absolutely clear must remain illegal. On drugs like cannabis there are differing views and approaches, and we need to understand these to have a proper, grown‑up discussion about the way forward.
The former Conservative Party leader and Foreign Secretary, [the Rt Hon] WilliamHague, has written about the decriminalisation of drugs, as has the Conservative Chair of this Assembly, and the PrimeMinister himself signalled the need for a new approach in the Government’s recent Drug Strategy. I have at no point pledged to decriminalise drugs but there is a debate to be had on approaches to the use of cannabis, and I think it is important that the Commission gathers the evidence that can inform the debate. We know, for example, that enforcement against the use of cannabis disproportionately criminalises young black men and we need to consider the impact this has on our communities.
This does not mean being soft on drugs. On the contrary, I will continue to fully support the police in targeting those causing harm to our communities. It is right to be cautious when considering approaches that will affect people’s lives and that is why I am establishing the Commission to gather all the evidence. I do not want to pre‑empt the recommendation of the Commission, and I hope this Assembly will be open to the evidence presented when the Commission reports back.

Tony Devenish: Mr Mayor, a third of psychosis cases in London are the result of smoking skunk [high‑potency cannabis], according to extensive research conducted by SirRobinMurray, a Professor of Psychiatric Research at King’s College London. Do you accept this is a very dangerous thing that you are going to do?

Sadiq Khan: I cannot see what you have against him giving evidence to the Commission. Why can people like him not present to the Commission what they are saying? What we have seen in the recent past, in the long‑distant past when it comes to issues around cannabis, is people having a small amount of cannabis in their possession being arrested, charged, prosecuted, and having a conviction that affects their life chances. Then, later on, they are caught again with a small amount of cannabis in their possession, arrested, charged, prosecuted, given another sentence, and convicted, and that cycle is repeated. I cannot see what anybody with any sense of reasonableness can have against going away to look at the evidence, hearing from the sorts of experts you are talking about ‑ and also hearing, indeed, from the Member himself with the strong‑held views he has ‑ and then coming back with a report with recommendations going forward.

Tony Devenish: I know a study from Oxford University has shown that weed increases the risk of depression in teenagers by 40%. This is a very dangerous road you are going down, Mr Mayor, and even your own Party leader seems to agree. Have you seen a letter from our old friend, former Assembly Member Bacon, now GarethBacon MP? Fifteen London MPs wrote to you on 11January [2022] about this very serious route that you are going down.

Sadiq Khan: I am sorry, those MPs did not write to complain about a Drugs Commission, which is the route I am going down.

Tony Devenish: They certainly did. I will send you the letter. I have it right in front of me.

Sadiq Khan: I have seen the letter. The Drugs Commission is a sensible approach to this issue. By the way, the recent Drugs Strategy published by this Government, with the Prime Minister who is adored so much by some Members of the Assembly, said, and I quote,
“Those who are caught in possession of drugs for the first time may be required to attend a drugs awareness course, so they have the opportunity to understand the harms of drugs and change their behaviour.”
I would suggest those MPs write to their Prime Minister if they have a problem with the recent Drugs Strategy published by this Government.
Tony Devenish AM: I think, Mr Mayor, you are doing your usual and trying to take something the Government is doing and twist it. I will leave it there.

Sadiq Khan: I am reading verbatim what they say.